Vampyr

First, the movie does have subtitles, but they are not in English. When the hero is reading a book, you see a Germanic or Dutch gothic script, then a translation in English will appear. This covers the whole screen so I would not say it was subtitled. When you do see the subtitles, they are not in German or English. From reading another review, I am inclined to believe it is in Dutch.

There is some classic vampire folklore in the movie, not just what we learn from "Dracula." Don't be dismayed, the vampire, or vampyr, is still a malevolent being. It is interesting to see the other attributes given to these creatures in different cultures.

In regard to quality, I find it is a great film. Since it was originally filmed in 1931, the video was taken from the original film. Because of this, there is quite a bit of distortion and hissing (sometimes sounding like a helicopter in the distance or a trawling motor). This distortion can make the actual words and music sound faint. Although this may look like a silent film, it is not. You just have to listen for it. I think it adds to the eerie effect rather than detracts from it. Think of it like reading an ancient book that has the feel and smell of antiquity.

Carl Dreyer is experimental in his camera tricks. Remember that he is not making errors. He is using these tricks to help add to the ambience. For instance, take a close look at the shadow of the guy shoveling. That is all I will say there.

If you are a vampire or horror enthusiast, this is a must see. If your idea of horror is the typical "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie, then you may want to give this a skip. It is nice to see where other horror directors got their ideas though.


A Haunting & Lyrical Nightmare   February 17, 2002
Raniel Almaria (Mt. Prospect, IL United States)
VAMPYR is a very hypnotic horror film. It may seem slow going & somewhat incoherent, but let the atmosphere of the movie wash over the viewer. This movie should be savored for its chilling atmosphere. A variation of Sheridan Le Fanu's CARMILLA, VAMPYR is about mood, atmosphere, shadows, & light. The sounds & the dialogue seem muffled, but that's what adds to the chilling atmosphere. Like watching a virtual lyrical nightmare, VAMPYR is a nightmarish classic.


hypotically beautiful film, atmospheric and ominous   November 14, 2001
J from NY (New York)
this movie is pure gustave moreau and pure surrealism! west's character watching himself being taken to the grave is, for some odd reason, absolutely terrifying, and although the movie becomes a little slow paced at times, this only adds to it's subtlety and admirable disdain for meaningless action. this is a horror film for real horror film fans, not sickos out to see gore and blood. even if the story is a little trite and utterly conventional as far as the vampire legend goes, buy it for the haunting and absolutely stunning imagery. there are scenes in this little gem that will stick out in your mind a long time after you view it.


A painterly film   November 5, 2001
S. Gustafson (New Albany, IN USA)
What astounds me about early and silent films is the frequent painterliness of the images you see on film. The imagery of Symbolist painting seems especially conspicuous. It seems obvious, for example, that Pastrone's -Cabiria- and D. W. Griffith's -Intolerance- bathed deep in the influence of Gustave Moreau. Griffith's good girls seem sometimes to have stepped out of the canvases of Puvis de Chavannes or Burne-Jones.

This is a Scandinavian vampire film. Where else would you look for visual references, than early Edvard Munch? This is what jumps out at me in this film. In the scenes with the vampire-contaminated girl on her sickbed, Dreyer seems to be wanting to recreate Munch's -The Sick Girl- and -Spring-. The sister [?] in the castle seems to have been made up to look like a somewhat scrawny version of Inger Munch, the painter's sister, who modelled over and over again throughout the paintings.

Of course, expressionist movies and expressionist paintings naturally go along hand in hand. This movie is somewhat hard to watch at times; the pacing is definitely odd and disorienting. On the version I have, the subtitles are done in large black-letter script. Fortunately, they do not often appear, and unlike the text insets are mostly irrelevant to what is going on. This is basically a silent film with a soundtrack added. The soundtrack cuts out at times.

Not for everybody, but not awful, either.