I appreciate this more than I actually enjoyed it while watching it. Dreyer is pushing the boundaries of narrative, interested in mood more than cohesive plot, and this is a fascinating development, but Vampyr never completely absorbed me the way Joan of Arc was able to.

As a cogent evocation of deepening dread, Vampyr suitably blends the silent film mode with then-newfound cinematic advancement to create a creeping horror movie, ones whose palatability to contemporary cinephiles provokes comparison to Whale's Bride of Frankenstein. Flooding his simply-told story with unforgettable, doom-laden imagery, Dreyer fashions approachable and rewarding cinema.

Completely unique, there has never been a movie like it, especially in the early thirties. Carl Theodor Dreyer was a true film genius.

If you ever wanted to see Mark Twain in a live action film, this is the movie for you!

This remains one of the minor masterpieces of '30s horror. Rough going but worth seeing for its atmosphere (a piece of gauze was placed before the camera lens to impart a grainy, dreamlike texture to the photography) and an oft-imitated sequence where the hero imagines himself buried alive.

One of the most eerily shot and atmospheric films I've ever seen. The creepiness seethes into your conscious, turning shadows to handsomely menacing nightmares.

I simply couldn't follow this movie. I think this was the first time I actually decided that I understand and appreciate what silent film did for the advancement of the art and the technology, but I do not actually need to enjoy the films.

By using disjointed shots and unsettling imagery, Dreyer creates a feeling of unease and confusion throughout the entire film. From whose perspective are we seeing things? What's real and what's imagined? Full of Gothic images and bizarre events, Vampyr really has the ability to get under your skin. The disconnected shots and sequences are disconcerting, especially on the first viewing, but the movie never fails to create a clear sense of nightmarish dread. One of the all time greats.

Dreyer proves that he can do horror, and the result is far from your average scary film. The only things keeping it from timeless perfection are anachronisms like the unnecessary intertitles and the less-than-brilliant underlying plot.

A strange, surreal dreamfilm. Undoubtedly a strong influence on David Lynch.

I wasn't as into what was going on as I could have been. Some parts, sure, but not always. However, this is one of those old horror movies that I feel are actually better due to the black and white, grainy film. It just wouldn't be the same shot today in colour. It adds to the creepy atmosphere and due to the fact you spend time reading a book in the movie, it feels like a documentary of SORTS of someone discovering vampires. Plus the soundtrack is awesome and everything is shot well.

Every scene has that wow-factor that you always look for when it comes to films. The cinematography was brilliant, from the lighting techniques to the imagery. The symbolism is also a very strong point in this wonderful film from Dreyer, one of the greatest filmmakers of his, and ours, time.

Got a bit muddled toward the end. But a nicely eerie, hypnotic style...sort of like the whole thing was this weird crazy dream. Also I liked Dreyer's line (somewhere else) about how a corpse laying in the next room changes the mood and feeling of everything.

The atmosphere, settings, cinematography, music and lighting are all great but the story isn't its strongest part and is difficult to follow. The time it was made greatly enhances the creepiness of it all, you couldn't pull off this grainy look today. The title cards were lame, almost like they were trying to save money, and they only confused me/bored me. Could've been better.

Dated and surrealistic. Great imagery and still spooky.

#188

"Carl Theodor Dreyer's entry into the vampire genre is a uniquely atmospheric and visual work... The plot occasionally becomes incoherent, especially at the end, but overall this classic delivers a somber, dream-like, eerie, supernatural atmosphere."

A technical masterpiece -- special effects used to invoke the perfectly eerie atmosphere and smooth, beautiful camera movements to contribute to the unsettling aesthetic and to give the film dynamic. The plot and characters are thin, so sometimes it may feel like it's merely a vehicle for its technicality and mood, but it's so masterfully filmed that it hardly matters.

86.875

Speaking as a big fan of both horror and Dreyer's other films, I was surprised by how little I enjoyed this. I had very high expectations, and not only did it fail to meet them, it called my expectations up and told them to go fuck themselves. I loved the austere photography and the eerie atmosphere, but the film is just so undeniably dull. Even judging it solely on the mood it creates, Vampyr is a disappointment. It's surreal and moody but not captivating until the end. Too little, too late.

Stunning lighting, cinematography, and imagery. It's astounding that this was made in 1932.

Masterful minimalist supernatural film built up with a series of captivating images.

Visually, this film is stunning. It creates an eerie atmosphere, and the final ghostly moments are creepy. However, the narrative is dull, so the film is pure aesthetics.

183

Dark, gripping, ghoulish and dreamlike.

Dreyer rocks my world, even in dream landscapes, where nothing seems familiar or ordinary.

Far too outdated. Only redeeming quality is the lurking shadows as the scare factor.

Incredibly good for its time, the plot made no goddamn sense though.