Vampyr (1932)

France 75m, sound (B&W)
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer; Cast: Julian West, Maurice Schutz, Rena Mandel

With the look and feel of an underground documentary, Vampyr is one of the creepiest looking horror movies ever made. Filmed as a silent movie, complete with inter-titles, it also has spoken dialogue which adds to the overall surreal nature of this film. Most remarkable for the time are the modern style fluid hand-held movements of the camera that utilize extreme high and low angles and quick pans which provide a level of hyper realism. The minimalist set design, and eerie use of shadow and light articulate both expressionism and film noir styles. The bizarre style of this production is also found in some highly unusual performances which feel forced, yet at the same time oddly realistic, and which fit the overall mood (Klaus Ming December 2008).