Waxworks

Considered a lesser expressionist film it still has plenty to offer. Story isn't very interesting, more like a three simple short tales. But the film really shines in detailed expressionistic set design and cutting-edge (for that time) filming techniques like super exposure, shadow lightning effects or distorted lens that still looks great even today. Conrad Veidt gives haunting and unforgettable performance as Ivan the Terrible.

Entertaining enough German expressionist fantasy/horror anthology. While none of the stories are terribly interesting, the style and experimental visual techniques really elevate this silent film to make it worth checking out.

The consensus is correct: it's a triumph of production design over story, of style over substance, rather than the synthesis achieved in the greatest German expressionist works. Leni was experimenting with an array of techniques that he would later refine and wed more fluently to sturdier narrative structures, but the sets are often stunning, and the lighting was arguably next level for 1924 and remains impressive today. Veidt and Jannings also make typically valuable contributions.

Some very fine expressionist visuals and some nicely expressive performances elevate some admittedly not very interesting stories. It held my attention, and I did enjoy it, but I wouldn't rush to recommend it; I enjoyed Leni's "The Man Who Laughs" much more than this.

It's a German Expressionist silent, which is always cool, but besides the rich visual style it doesn't have a whole lot going for it. Not that any of it is bad, the stories are enjoyable enough and there hardly a dull moment, but I'd like more than that.

Excellent acting and set design doesn't save this anthology from being 3 stories that at best drag on a little to long or at worst are near sleep inducing.

Successful for the most part, but some of the segments drag just a bit. But I really enjoyed watching the interpretations of some historical figures. The direction and set design is also impressive, and as always Conrad Veidt is great.

Seems like the only idea behind this was to have some arresting visuals following this fantasy anthology, and also maybe the casting of the stars as sideshows for each one. Watchable.

That ending was definitely impressive. The rest? eh.

Visually a treat but the first story is too long and the other two a bit too short.

Veidt is great, sets are great, some scattered sequences are great (like escaping the scene of the Caliph's murder, the finale). Generally, I am not into these trans-historical anthology films and overall this is no exception.

A writer-for-hire tries to impress a girl by composing two tales about a powerful historical figure (a caliph and a tsar, respectively) attempting to employ nefarious means to take a girl away from the man to whom she belongs, only to find himself (the writer, that is) caught in a nightmare of a similar kind. The recreations of Baghdad and Moscow are very evocative, the sets, lighting and effects are all pleasingly expressionistic, and Conrad Veidt makes a great Ivan the Terrible.

58.000

Kinda boring compared to the other Leni films I've seen. Nothing much special at all about this one, but it wasn't bad.