Vampyr (1932)

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Young traveller Allan Gray arrives in a remote castle and starts seeing weird, inexplicable sights (a man whose shadow has a life of its own) (imdb)

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Directed By: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Written By: Carl Theodor Dreyer, Sheridan Le Fanu, Christen Jul

Starring: Maurice Schutz, Sybille Schmitz, Albert Bras, Henriette Gérard, Georges Boidin, Julian West, Rena Mandel, N. Babanini, Jane Mora, Jan Hieronimko

Genre: Horror

Country: France, Germany

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Vampyr belongs to 64 collections

1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 234 stars)

2. Criterion Collection (collaborative: moderated by caffe - 167 stars)

3. Features under 91 minutes (collaborative: moderated by epiphany - 56 stars)

4. Certified weird (collaborative: moderated by Dreamer - 47 stars)

5. Uncanny, Disturbingly Weird Films (collaborative: moderated by paulofilmo - 42 stars)

6. Psychotronic Film and Video Guides (collaborative: moderated by Gregzilla - 40 stars)

7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)

8. Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 1000 Movies (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 38 stars)

9. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)

10. Netflix Instant (collaborative: moderated by somnivore - 29 stars)

11. Passed the Bechdel Test (collaborative: moderated by geohawk - 29 stars)

12. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)

13. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)

14. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 22 stars)

15. The Story of Film: An Odyssey (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 20 stars)

16. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)

17. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)

18. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)

19. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 14 stars)

20. Vampire (collaborative: moderated by td888 - 13 stars)

21. Sight and Sound 2012 (collaborative: moderated by DavidB - 13 stars)

22. Rue Morgue Magazine's 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See (public: jimmyjazz - 12 stars)

23. International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 11 stars)

24. Cinema Discusso Yearly Consensus (2008) (public: PeaceAnarchy - 10 stars)

25. Sight and Sound 2002 (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 9 stars)

26. Fantastic and surreal (public: juandr - 9 stars)

27. Amos Vogel: Film as a Subversive Art (collaborative: moderated by edsu - 8 stars)

28. Silent (collaborative: moderated by Dorkovsky - 7 stars)

29. BFI Film Classics (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 7 stars)

30. David Thomson's 1000 Films (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 7 stars)

31. Black and White Photography (collaborative: moderated by JooJoo - 6 stars)

32. Masters of Cinema (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 6 stars)

33. List: Taschen (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 6 stars)

34. Cinema Discusso Movies of the Month (collaborative: moderated by ABUNCHOFCATS - 6 stars)

35. Films referenced in Histoire(s) du cinéma (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 5 stars)

36. Slant Magazine's 100 Greatest Horror Films of All Time (collaborative: moderated by edsu - 5 stars)

37. Dream/Fantasy/Hallucination Sequence (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 4 stars)

38. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)

39. Fever Dream (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 4 stars)

40. Guillermo del Toro's Top 10ish Criterion Collection Films (public: TychoCelchuu - 3 stars)

41. Criterion Collection (Blu-ray and 4K) (public: PepeCamello - 3 stars)

42. Top 100 German films (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 2 stars)

43. Eurohorror (collaborative: moderated by Shmendrek - 1 star)

44. A Year of Essential Cinema (collaborative: moderated by Ibetolis1 - 1 star)

45. The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: Horror 1930s (collaborative: moderated by RoyalB - 1 star)

46. Kyles Movie of the Year 1892-2019 (public: Dorkovsky - 1 star)

47. Top Film of Each Year (public: Judge Holden - 1 star)

48. Antagony & Ecstacy: The Best Films of All Time (public: Nroo - 1 star)

49. TSPDT Films I Couldn't Finish (collaborative: moderated by svenerik)

50. Films Available on Archive.org (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)

51. 4: Rewatches (public: KasperL)

52. October Horror Movie a Day (public: ABUNCHOFCATS)

53. Moribunny's Scariest Movies (public: Moribunny)

54. us-tv McD 101 Horrors (public: timxyz)

55. 1932: Year in Review (public: polanski28)

56. Nicolas Winding Refn's Top 10 Criterion Collection Films (public: TychoCelchuu)

57. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 29 (public: PeaceAnarchy)

58. Horror/Suspense Movies I Own (public: Lord Moe)

59. Movies I Own (public: Farzan)

60. Lucbapt (public: lucbapt)

61. My Criterions (public: Matthew Parkinson)

62. Sight and Sound 2012 - Combined list - Part II (public: Ariaz)

63. A Spook-a-doodle October (public: Tarnop)

64. Top Horrors to Watch (public: BeeDub)

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All Ratings | With Reviews

Order by:

TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
7	Barthalen	80 _81st
It starts out very strong; I loved the way the camera and characters move through scenes and the creative effects and wonderful mood got me all pumped up. It can't quite keep that momentum as the story just never really takes off and West seems quite wooden. However, the unsettling atmosphere more than makes up for that and I had a blast just marinating in that proto-Lynchian moodiness for 75 minutes.
6	MartinTeller	85 _84th
It's got magnificent camerawork and a foreboding air of menace throughout. There's a surreal essence, not just in the content, but also in the storytelling, which always feels slightly off. Creepy and nightmarish.
6	Nathan S	4 _74th
This film altogether exists in a strange state, in between silent and sound, the real and the dreamed. Standard character and plot devices largely cease to exist in this hazy procession of the surreal and supernatural. It's poetry in motion, pure atmosphere.
4	Icarus	88 _85th
This is a film that is less about narrative and more about the mood and atmosphere created by the use of light and shadow, sound and silence, close-ups and wide shots. There's a semi-coherent narrative undergirding the film that works well alongside the story of a man woken from his sleep and wandering around in the middle of the night. In other words, Vampyr operates on a level closer to dream logic, so instead of narratival clarity, we get a palpable sense of dread, which works for vampires.
3	terrymac	77 _77th
I found this pretty difficult to follow, and I wasn't a huge fan of the expository intertitles, but this really started to get under my skin. Some of the camerawork and imagery was very effective, and the film was successful in creating a dreamlike, unsettling mood. I'd be happy to watch this again, and I'm sure I'll be able to get a better handle on whatever the hell was going on; that said, the non-standard plotting didn't detract from the overall effect. Recommended.
3	Alex Watkins	2 _15th
I hate to say it, but...yawn. Some nice trick shots and a good score aren't enough to make this anything special. I was utterly bored for most of the film. It doesn't really go anywhere and it takes its time doing so. The supposedly mesmerizing atmosphere failed to draw me in at any point. Really disappointed, I expected much better here.
3	JooJoo	6 _95th
Dreyer rocks my world, even in dream landscapes, where nothing seems familiar or ordinary.
3	Paxton	75 _78th
The first twenty minutes of this are so good I thought it was going to be the greatest thing I'd ever seen. Unfortunately, the next half hour slowed me down so much I thought I might not ever need to see it again. Thankfully, the last half hour brought it right back up again. Besides, any movie with a giant scythe is worth watching.
2	Moribunny	93 _98th
A bona fide masterpiece of horror. Dreyer's directing leaves nothing to be desired. He scares us with patient sincerity, creates an utterly disturbing, oneiric atmosphere where one haunting visual follows another, culminating in nightmarish surrealism. The acting, mostly by amateurs, is simply spectacular, so authentic for its time that it alone is creepy. It's unheard of, but even the main star, a Baron who landed the role because he financed the film, plays superbly. Watch this late at night.
2	djross	60 _62nd
Not just dreamlike but somnambulistic, with a roving camera that seems at times to itself be wandering according to the rhythm of some kind of mechanical sleep. With strong imagery and clever use of light and shadow, one nevertheless cannot help but feel that this may have been the original "style over substance" movie, and the final product hurt by budgetary compromises. Despite its shortcomings, it is certainly a curiosity with several moments that are still impressive eighty-five years later.
2	PeaceAnarchy	77 _51st
A very interesting film with some haunting images and very good use of limited special effects. The story is rather uneven though, at times it's over explained with lengthy intertitles and at other times it jumps forward with no explanation at all.
2	TedDedon	76 _52nd
Though it's certainly creepy and effective by horror standards, Vampyr by Carl Th. Dreyer never managed to hold my attention and keep me engaged thoroughly. On all technical accounts it's quite good, but considering Nosferatu came out before it and how much better that is, this just feels like a wash by comparison. Overall, though, it's a good movie--or at least well made--so it's easy to recommend to fans of Dreyer or that eerie style old films had.
2	KMcNeil	8 _84th
Yet another great movie by Dreyer. The lights, shadows, the tonality range of the grey and dark plus some strange, yet exhilarating compositions (often unbalanced with the point of interest placed to the bottom and/or to the side of the screen) really are way ahead of their time. It's not Nosferatu, but then again - what is?
2	Judge Holden	5 _69th
Speaking as a big fan of both horror and Dreyer's other films, I was surprised by how little I enjoyed this. I loved the austere photography and the eerie. otherworldly atmosphere, but the film is just so undeniably dull. Even judging it solely on the mood it creates, Vampyr is a disappointment. It's moody but not captivating until the end. Too little, too late.
2	Judo Koala	80 _75th
As is wont for Dreyer, the cinematography, the performances elicited, the atmosphere -- astounding. Incredible. Truly ahead of its time. Also as is wont for Dreyer: you might struggle to stay awake at times. A terribly heavy reliance upon intertitles only further kills the already glacial pacing, and pacing was already Dreyer's weakest hand.
2	billkerwin	97 _97th
Disturbing, dreamlike imagery, and an even more disorienting dreamlike structure. This is a great film, probably marred by the lack of money. And yet . . . even the raggedy edges of the narrative and the poor performance of the lead actor serve to enhance the power of this elliptical, surrealistic film.
2	glm	87 _85th
86.875
2	Syntheseizur	83 _75th
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.
2	Noblet	66 _42nd
Lovely atmosphere and camerawork but way too meandering for my liking.
2	ribcage	85 _85th
definitely would have liked it to have a pinch more coherence, however it captures the magic of a spooky dream damn near perfectly. effective horror film that leaves a lingering haunted feeling.
1	Magb	70 _39th
This has a very eerie quality to it, but it never quite captured my attention. Maybe I missed something crucial in terms of the plot that would've made the whole thing come together stronger, but I think the fact of the matter is that it's just an underdeveloped film. The lousy picture and sound quality didn't help, although apparently that's how Dreyer wanted it to be. Still, it was enjoyable enough.
1	Pickpocket	7 _68th
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.
1	caiman	95 _98th
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.
1	sebby	85 _95th
It's all about the style, which thankfully is fucking out of this world.
1	tonydal	80 _74th
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.
1	graveyardtan	80 _57th
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.
1	aaaaaaarrggg	86 _91st
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.
1	CosmicMonkey	83 _77th
Vampyr is a strange, mysterious film. Dreyer singlehandedly crafted his own unique film grammar and language for spooky and surreal ends, ultimately creating a film that is both a nightmare and daydream at the same time. It's a beautiful and unique piece of artistry that, like many other aesthetic films, is held back from true greatness by it's difficult to follow narrative and incoherency.
1	ABUNCHOFCATS	90 _85th
I don't know whether this is almost genius or blind luck. The imagery and effects are stunning and everything is just completely surreal and atmospheric. I wish it'd been a more frightening tale than a vampire, but it's ok as it is. There's too much focus on silent frames of text, way too much for a movie with sound, and that's the major downfall of it since they all but destroy the pacing of it and remove you from the movie. This is a must-see though for the amazing nightmare this film is.
1	wetwillies	80 _37th
Viewed October 28, 2016. A stream-of-consciousness nightmare, as terrifying in the details as it is in the abstract; beautifully composed, high-contrast, soporific horror. It feels remarkably ahead of its time, and the only moments where it falters are those where it feels inescapably old-fashioned, such as the endless title cards. But the atmosphere here still overwhelms, and the images make their mark.
1	escano777	9 _9th
At times this can be difficult to watch but it is interesting as a historically significant film.
1	hotsake	66 _65th
Great sound effects and music with some inventive and fun Special Fx. Not nearly as good or interesting as I had hoped. An early talkie which still uses a lot of silent picture tropes.
1	PUNQ	70 _96th
A very dark and avant garde horror movie from Carl Theodor Dreyer. In it's narrative it's very confusing and you spend most of the movie wondering whats going on and trying to get any sense out of the strange way of telling the story. Dreyer uses shadows and angles amazingly and it's that effect that makes the movie as interesting as it is. I didn't get the ultimate experience from Vampyr, but it's still a very curious piece of art that has a lot of value.
1	thereeldeal	55 _21st
Unlike 1922's Nosferatu, this "classic" is an absolute bore. Dreyer's effects to create shadows in Vampyr are novel and worth seeing, but aren't worth even this 73 minute run-time. Dreyer's lack of commitment to sound films results in a dry narrative with inexplicably pointless spoken dialogue and the lack of it. Obnoxious on-screen cards needlessly break the "show don't tell" rule, and Allan Gray's endless wanderings aren't atmospheric, they're empty and monotonous. No sense of threat or dread.
1	backwardsuit	81 _83rd
Strange and surreal tale with magnificent cinematography and wonderfully mysterious atmosphere. The plot is very bare & simple but everything is pierced by an eerie sense of inexplicable dread. Paradoxically I found it both intriguing and sleep inducing (dozed off for a while). A thoroughly dreamlike film that seems to inhabit a weird plane of existence somewhere between this world and the next.
1	MojoJoestar	75 _74th
Beautiful shadows, very suspenseful. Like a nightmare and daydream at the same time.
1	hiromiyamoto	98 _91st
I actually fell asleep for a good ten minutes of this movie. However, as pointed out by my film professor, due to the dreamlike quality of this film, I can't help but feel that was the director's intent, so in that regard, this film succeeded in its goals and still managed to be thoroughly entertaining.

Average Percentile 64.57% from 1061 Ratings