Vampyr
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| Vampyr | |
|---|---|
 Original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Carl Theodor Dreyer |
| Produced by | Carl Theodor Dreyer Julian West |
| Written by | Sheridan Le Fanu (novel) Christen Jul Carl Theodor Dreyer |
| Starring | Julian West Maurice Schutz Rena Mandel |
| Music by | Wolfgang Zeller |
| Cinematography | Rudolph Maté Louis Née |
| Editing by | Paul Falkenberg |
| Release date(s) | 1932 |
| Running time | 75 min. |
| Language | German |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Vampyr is a 1932 Danish film by Carl Theodor Dreyer. An art film and early example of a sound film, it is short on dialogue and plot, but is admired even today for its innovative use of light and shadow.
The film was made in black and white, and stars Julian West AKA Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg (the film's producer), Maurice Schutz, Rena Mandel, Sybille Schmitz, Jan Hieronimko, and Henriette Gérard.
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Julian West as Allan Grey
- Maurice Schutz as the Lord of the Manor
- Rena Mandel as Gisele
- Sybille Schmitz as Leone
- Jan Hieronimko as the Village Doctor
- Henriette Gérard as Marguerite Chopin, the Woman from the Cemetery
- Albert Bras as an Old Servant
- N. Babanini as His Wife
- Jane Mora as a Nurse
[edit] Plot
The plot is said to be based (albeit very loosely) on the vampire novella Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu [citation needed]. The actual events are rather obscure and dominated by a general dream-like, weird atmosphere. Allan Grey, a youth travelling in the French countryside, puts up at an inn in the surroundings of a solitary castle, near the village of Courtempierre. He begins to see strange sights that are impossible to explain (notably shadows leading a life independent from that of their "owners"). Having been asked for help by the Lord of the Manor, Allan visits the castle and becomes involved in the tragic events that are befalling the family. Leone, the daughter of the Lord of the Manor appears to suffer from anaemia, but her father already suspects that her illness is caused by a vampire. The Lord of the Manor dies, seemingly of natural causes, but actually as a result of the actions of the servants of the undead. As Allan reads an old book about vampires, he learns more and more about these creatures, while the fiend continues to assault the young woman. The vampire turns out to be an extremely evil old woman, Marguerite Chopin, who died in mortal sin and caused a similar epidemic a quarter of a century ago. She is conspiring with the village doctor who helps her to gain access to her victim; her ultimate objective is to cause the victim to commit suicide and thus deliver her to the devil. Eventually, Allan and an old servant stake her, and her servants also die. In the happy end, Allan is seen leaving together with Leone's syster, Gisele.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Full movie at Google video
- Vampyr at the Internet Movie Database
| Carl Theodor Dreyer |
|---|
| Silent Films |
|
The President (1919) • The Witch Woman (1920) Leaves from Satan's Book (1921) • Love one Another (1922) Once Upon a Time (1922) • Michael (1924) Thou Shalt Honor Thy Wife (1925) • Bride of Glomdal (1926) The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) |
| Sound Films |
|
Vampyr (1932) • Good Mothers (1942) • Day of Wrath (1943) • Two People (1945) • Water from the Land (1946) • The Struggle Against Cancer (1947) • The Danish Village Church (1947) • They Caught the Ferry (1948) • The Storstrom Bridge (1950) • The Castle Within the Castle (1955) • Ordet (1955) • Gertrud (1964) |
