A little bit of a mix between movies that came before and after it, the title character combining the mind control of Dr. Mabuse (1922) with the desire to create life of Dr. Frankenstein (1931), though it's actually based on the 1908 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. There's quite a bit of mood here in the scenes which work, and that's what put it over the top for me, despite plodding along a bit early on, including a snake charmer scene at a carnival that seems like a weak version of Browning. Eventually we get to the evil magician's laboratory, which is set in a cool tower high above a town, and what do you know, he's also got a hunchbacked assistant. He uses mind control on a young woman (Alice Terry) to get her to marry him instead of her fiancée (Iván Petrovich) because he's found an ancient recipe for creating life, and it calls for the blood from the heart of a maiden. It's not exactly clear how that's supposed to work, beyond combining it with other unspecified things kept at 115 degrees, I mean, is life supposed to arise from a soupy mixture? It's not quite as well conceived as Frankenstein trying to animate a corpse, but it's suitably dark, and German actor Paul Wegener is strong in the leading role. In one fantastic scene, the film's best and a little reminiscent of Faust (1926), he casts an illusion for the young woman, one of a mostly naked satyr and various forest creatures dancing around in a mad orgy, leading to one of them biting down on her neck like a vampire. There are also some pretty shots in Paris, Monaco, and Nice. It's not perfect, but it's got some great moments and was clearly influential.
Review of The Magician
