Entertainment

Cult Movies: Hands Of Orlac a deeply moody masterpiece of twisted storytelling

Conrad Veidt in The Hands of Orlac
Conrad Veidt in The Hands of Orlac Conrad Veidt in The Hands of Orlac

The Hands Of Orlac

CONRAD Veidt has been the recipient of much love on these pages before. I've eulogised about the German star's unforgettable central performances in such game changing fantasy films as Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari (1920) and The Man Who Laughed (1928) – and now that The Hands of Orlac, perhaps his greatest celluloid outing, has just made its Blu-ray debut thanks to Eureka Entertainment, I'm about to do it again.

Originally released in 1924, Orlac is another example of how German Expressionism in all its dark, sinister glory influenced mainstream cinema. Based on a story by novelist Maurice Renard, who specialised in novels of both a horror and medical nature, it traces the full-blown mental disintegration of Paul Orlac (Veidt), a concert pianist who has his hands amputated after a train crash and replaced with the hands of an executed murderer. When Orlac's father is murdered by the dead man's hands the distraught musician swiftly tumbles towards madness.

Directed by Robert Wiene, a strangely undervalued figure in silent cinema despite the fact that he delivered Caligari and changed the face of fantasy film in the process, this is a deeply moody masterpiece of twisted storytelling that plays out like an art house effort with its dark shadowy look and stylish expressionist trimmings, yet also feels at times like a penny dreadful B-movie with its sordidly sensationalist storyline. It's a mix of high and low art that makes Orlac such an enjoyable viewing experience.

Alexandra Sorina also stars in the influential 1924 feature
Alexandra Sorina also stars in the influential 1924 feature Alexandra Sorina also stars in the influential 1924 feature

Veidt is mesmerising throughout as the highly strung musician who is clearly losing his mind. He's electrifying here as the artist possessed by dark forces and there are moments, such as when he glares wildly at his new hands with his veins bulging in his head, that will live long in the memory.

Fritz Kortner is equally impressive as the villain of the piece, practically gnawing on the scenery with ripe actorly exuberance every single time he appears on screen.

The story, of course, has become a recurring one through horror history with numerous adaptations from Mad Love to Hands Of A Stranger and lurid variations such as Oliver Stone's The Hand and even The Beast With Five Fingers keeping it in the public consciousness down the decades. It was even re-made as an English and French co-production in 1960 with Christopher Lee (a confirmed superfan of Veidt) taking on the central role of the tormented pianist, but it's Wiene's 1924 version that remains the essential production.

As they always do, Eureka have supplied a range of impressive extras to make this addition to their Masters Of Cinema series an essential purchase. Authors and respected horror hounds Stephen Jones and Kim Newman have provided an insightful new commentary track and there's also a video essay from David Cairns and Fiona Watson on the magic of the film, alternative takes of certain scenes to enjoy and a fresh musical score from Paul Mercer to savour.

A nattily produced collector's booklet with writing from Philip Kemp and Tim Lucas just about seals the deal.