A look back on the early, silent era in horror...
Another reviewer criticized this documentary for Rod Steiger's narration on two fronts -- one, because he says the narrator does little more than explain what is on the screen. And two, the "Bela Lugosi impression" he does. The second point is completely accurate -- why must he talk slow and in a weird accent (though it comes and goes)? That is not helpful in being educational for the viewer.
As for the first point, there is some accuracy in that. I found the documentary enjoyable, but would like to have known more about the creators -- Wiene, Dreyer, and others. We were really offered nothing in the way of biography or history.
The film goes into a bit of depth on "Leaves From Satan's Book" and examines the overlap of Satan, evil and religion. We see how in early years of film, the Inquisition was a popular theme, and therefore good and evil frequently were hard to tell apart. This could have been explored more...
Another reviewer criticized this documentary for Rod Steiger's narration on two fronts -- one, because he says the narrator does little more than explain what is on the screen. And two, the "Bela Lugosi impression" he does. The second point is completely accurate -- why must he talk slow and in a weird accent (though it comes and goes)? That is not helpful in being educational for the viewer.
As for the first point, there is some accuracy in that. I found the documentary enjoyable, but would like to have known more about the creators -- Wiene, Dreyer, and others. We were really offered nothing in the way of biography or history.
The film goes into a bit of depth on "Leaves From Satan's Book" and examines the overlap of Satan, evil and religion. We see how in early years of film, the Inquisition was a popular theme, and therefore good and evil frequently were hard to tell apart. This could have been explored more...