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Before plumbing the depths of horror and despair with such films as Faust and the Last Laugh, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau tested the waters with this moody drama of a storm-bound manor and the grim mystery that lurks within. A hunting party is interrupted by the arrival of a notorious Count (Lothar Mehnert), who is believed to have murdered his brother. The uninvited guest sets in motion an elaborate plot to resurrect the ghosts of the past and bring to light the dark secret that lies at the center of his brother's death. The foreboding atmosphere and psychological complexity inspired Murnau to delve deeper into the horror genre, which he did the following year, with the immortal vampire tale Nosferatu (1922). Review: Cover art is the most exciting part - This is quite a slow-moving story, and not nearly as interesting as the director's other works. Plot is banal. For completists only. Review: Very good "minor" Murnau film - If you are looking for a haunted house-type horror film, this isn't one of them. Its instead a murder-mystery: a murder has occurred a few years ago, several people are now assembled within a castle, most of them assume a certain one of them committed the murder. One of the group disappears, a shot rings out..... While not on par with Murnau's more well-known films, such as Nosferatu, Faust, or The Last Laugh, this one is still worth watching. The restoration is excellent with only a few scratches here and there, and as always, Kino has done a superb job in the transfer. The special features are minimal, consisting of some passages from the original novel and a few photos of set design paintings. If you are building a collection of Murnau films or German expressionism films (this barely qualifies as one), then you need to have a copy of this.
| Contributor | F.W. Murnau, Lothar Mehnert |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 8 Reviews |
| Format | Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Silent |
| Genre | Classics/Silent Films, Horror |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 1 hour and 21 minutes |
R**R
Cover art is the most exciting part
This is quite a slow-moving story, and not nearly as interesting as the director's other works. Plot is banal. For completists only.
H**3
Very good "minor" Murnau film
If you are looking for a haunted house-type horror film, this isn't one of them. Its instead a murder-mystery: a murder has occurred a few years ago, several people are now assembled within a castle, most of them assume a certain one of them committed the murder. One of the group disappears, a shot rings out..... While not on par with Murnau's more well-known films, such as Nosferatu, Faust, or The Last Laugh, this one is still worth watching. The restoration is excellent with only a few scratches here and there, and as always, Kino has done a superb job in the transfer. The special features are minimal, consisting of some passages from the original novel and a few photos of set design paintings. If you are building a collection of Murnau films or German expressionism films (this barely qualifies as one), then you need to have a copy of this.
T**K
For Murnau completists
Pretty disappointing for a Murnau. I didn't expect horror, I figured if there was a creepy, horroresque Murnau film literally about a haunted castle, we'd have heard more about it long ago. What you get instead is a pretty tepid mystery/morality play that's a cinch to figure out, and not particularly atmospheric or very interesting. Even the crime at hand happened before the film begins. It's great to see any silent film from a notable director like Murnau made readily available and in such appreciable form, but were it not a Murnau film, I doubt it would be getting much, if any attention today.
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