(1911)
Dir - Francesco Bertolini/Adolfo Padovan/Giuseppe De Liguoro
Overall: GOOD
Understandably a little slow moving overall which is often common with silent cinema, the historically important L'Inferno is still a wildly impressive work. Naturally based off Dante's Diving Comedy, it was filmed over the course of three years by as many different directors and it became the first full-length Italian movie ever released. Pulling in more than two million at the American box office, it is regarded as possibly the first blockbuster as well, at least for an imported film. L'Inferno plays as a cinematic interpretation of Gustave Doré's iconic engravings and the way in which they come to life is remarkable. Utilizing visual tricks with black screens, overlays, and forced projection, all of the levels of hell are depicted faithfully to the source material. The beasts, demons, and giants both on land and in the air just barely come off as dated, a gargantuan Lucifer himself appropriately representing the films most showstopping moment. It is really just a visual tour de force for the times, but a strong enough one to still be required viewing beyond its mere archival significance.
(1920)
Dir - Paul Wegener/Carl Boese
Overall: GOOD
Impossible not to compare to its close contemporary The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Golem: How He Came Into the World is another premier example of German Expressionism. Architect Hans Poelzig's set design and Karl Freund and Guido Seeber's cinematography is textbook of the movement, creating elaborate, exaggerated, and menacing visuals that go a long way in establishing the ideal, macabre mood. Wonderfully striking moments involving the summoning of an ancient demon in particular are as legendary as anything in Caligari or Nosferatu and The Golem as a whole stands closely toe-to-toe with these other iconic, early German horror works. As far as specific influence is concerned, the parallels between this and James Whale's Frankenstein eleven years later are futile to ignore. Wegener's slow moving, intimidating, and powerful title character, (who he also plays), is a direct link to Karloff's Monster and there are further, similar elements such as both being created from a "master" and each one engaging in playful interactions with children. Pacing wise, The Golem takes a bit too long to get going and has some dated melodrama that drags it down later on, but these are the only reasonable errors one can find with it.
(1924)
Dir - Robert Weine
Overall: MEH
Re-made twice more in the following decades, (most notably as Mad Love with Peter Lorre and Colin Clive), Robert Weine's The Hands of Orlac suffers far too immeasurably from a plodding pace. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari pair of Weine and actor Conrad Veidt once again team up, but the Expressionism emphasis is largely toned down and the movie plays out in a more conventional, contemporary setting. That said, visually the film does accomplish some still impressive moments such as a nightmare scene where a giant arm extends downward from the ceiling, as well as others where dead space is utilized in rooms to make them appear far larger and barren. The performances are stylized in a manner typical of the era, but nearly every scene plays out at an excruciating sluggish trot. Because the story is so simple and ultimately a little silly, it does not help how laborious of an ordeal it is. Orlac remains noteworthy though for its body part possession/limb surgery motifs that would become forever common in the horror genre and as a footnote in German Expressionism, be it a less imperative one.
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