Discuss The Hands of Orlac
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Surreally eerie 1924 Silent
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on March 9, 2017 at 8:41 AM
Conrad Veidt gives a superb, outstanding performance in this film. He thoroughly impresses me.
I also am taken with the movie's recent years surreally, eerily beautiful score. It perfectly suits the mood and action of the film and serves as a definite mysteriously psychological enhancement; it tremendously compliments the film.
Watching this film in our current times, it seems surprising to see such a clearly sexually mega-charged depiction of the wife, Yvonne, whose obvious intense passion and desire for her husband Paul and his hands is certainly not what most would expect to be seeing in a Silent film. Yvonne's pretty much desperate with just-barely-contained need thinking about Paul's imminent return home, and - in particular - his hands - before the accident occurs.
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Reply by tmdb19370076
on March 9, 2017 at 10:13 AM
Conrad Veidt was a great actor. I haven't watched this in a while (I've got the Kino release), but I agree. It's a wonderful, surreal film, with a lot of sexual subtext. His wedding ring that no longer fits onto his hand. His inability to play the piano (i.e. "perform"), his body language of slumped shoulders/dangling arms conveying impotency or flaccidity. I loved the fluidity of his movement in the scene with the knife, when he was sleepwalking or hallucinating.
So glad to see someone else who appreciates this film!
Reply by genplant29
on March 9, 2017 at 11:24 AM
Conrad Veidt's performance in this movie is nothing short of phenomenal; he's amazingly impressive. Even the veins in his forehead and neck bulge out, during his depiction of the obvious complete overload of stress and torment and terror that his character is going through. As you mentioned, Veidt truly gives a full-body performance, and you totally understand and plainly see how entirely overtaken he's - the character of Paul Orlac - become with absolute horror, dread, and fear of his "killer" new hands. Veidt's performance is a knockout, that if a viewer wasn't already a fan of his before they watch this, I believe they definitely will be once they have!
Reply by Will Barks
on March 9, 2017 at 12:12 PM
Do you all have the Kino version? How is the quality? There's also an Austrian edition from Filmarchiv Austria, accompanied by a small book. I'm thinking of getting that one.
Reply by genplant29
on March 9, 2017 at 1:28 PM
Yes, the Kino release is very nice, Will. It's been a few months since I last watched it, though I generally recall it as having overall good picture quality. Per the case back, "This Kino edition was mastered in HD from a 35mm print restored by the F.W. Murnau Foundation, supplemented with additional footage from the Raymond Rohauer Collection." I don't remember whether it includes any scenes tinting, though the case doesn't mention tinting, so there probably isn't any.
Following is the link to the Wikipedia article about this movie. Besides being overall interesting, it mentions about the various different DVD releases. Anyone reading this thread who's not yet seen The Hands of Orlac, be aware that the following article includes spoilers that you may prefer to not be aware of:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hands_of_Orlac_(1924_film)
Reply by tmdb19370076
on March 9, 2017 at 1:41 PM
I have the Kino, they usually do a good job, worth the price. Another Connie Veidt movie I'd love to see get a good treatment is The Student of Prague. From what I understand, the DVDs available leave a lot to be desired.
Reply by genplant29
on March 9, 2017 at 1:55 PM
I've never yet seen that one. I'll have to put it on my "movies to check for" list.