Vampyr - Criterion Collection

I received the criterion edition of Vampyr in the mail today. I am extremely pleased with it. For me it may be the DVD release of the year. Have always loved Carl Dreyer, & this film in particular. Finally seeing a properly restored edition (the previous Image entertainment release was hideous, although better than nothing, & superior to my former VHS release of the film) on a two disc release with commentary, & the entire screenplay available as well as the original source short stories in a literal paperback book (as opposed to a DVD booklet) is a treat indeed.

For more release details see attached customer images above. If you don't know about the film itself, see it's write-up in Amos Vogel's Film As A Subversive Art, hear what Dreyer himself has to say about his aims in Carl Th. Dreyer - My Metier, or Google it.

Carl Theodor Dreyer's VAMPYR has long been one of my favorite early horror films but until just a few years ago it was impossible to see it in a decent print. The old Image DVD had the best picture quality but was marred by black box subtitles in Gothic script. Still it was the best there was until now. This new Criterion transfer is not only the best so far it will probably be the best from now on as I can't see anyone else wanting to redo it. It's not everyone's idea of a horror film especially today when poetry and atmosphere are not high on the list of priorities for most horror movies (or most movies in general). The film was not a success in 1932 causing the director to abandon filmmaking for 11 years although it quickly developed a cult following.

The scenario inspired by Irish Huguenot writer Sheridan Le Fanu's novella CARMILLA and influenced by F.W. Murnau's NOSFERATU is probably the closest cinematic equivalent of a dream captured on film. It certainly influenced Cocteau's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST which was 14 years later. The film is actually more of a nightmare as it follows a young protagonist through village inns and country estates on the trail of a female vampire who against conventional tradition is old and wizened rather than young and beautiful. Strange things happen. Shadows have a life of their own, the hero watches himself from above as he is buried alive, and it contains one of the strangest death scenes ever filmed which was borrowed from D.W. Griffith's A CORNER IN WHEAT. The entire film was designed to be pale with lots of fog and scenes shot through gauze over the camera lens. It was photographed by Rudolph Mate' who had done Dreyer's previous film THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC. Once seen it cannot be forgotten. Like most vivid dreams you remember it whether you want to or not.

This new transfer of the German version (there were French and English ones as well) looks as good as any restoration I have ever seen and the cleaning up of Wolfgang Zeller's music score, so essential to the overall mood, is nothing less than astonishing. Like most Criterion releases it comes with a plethora of extras including the original shooting script and a complete copy of Le Fanu's story CARMILLA so that you can see how much they varied from it. There is alao a second disc containing deleted scenes, a detailed analysis of the film and a radio interview with the director. Yes it's expensive and no it's not for everyone but if you appreciate cinema as poetry and are seduced by black and white images than this is the movie for you. Be advised though that Dreyer shot this film as a silent and added the music and effects later. There is less than 10 minutes worth of dialogue overall and no one says more than a few words each time they speak.

Just when I think Criterion has forgotten us fans of horror & sci-fi, here they come with this incredible deluxe treatment of one of the all-time greats. Carl Dreyer's VAMPYR may have been overshadowed by Murnau's NOSFERATU and Tod Browning's DRACULA (and rightfully so, in many ways), but it's still one of the greatest examples of film-as-nightmare ever made.

For those who may have missed it, VAMPYR loosely (VERY loosely...more on that in a minute) adapts the Victorian-era horror tale "Carmilla," which featured a pair of scheming female vampires. But the film only uses bits of the novella to flesh-out its nightmare vision. The film's minimal plot concerns a man, Alan Gray, who is studying the occult. In a village outside of Paris, he stumbles upon a mystery steeped in the supernatural. A host of increasingly bizarre images assail Gray (and the viewer), culminating in one of the most memorable nightmare sequences ever put on film.

VAMPYR, especially for the first-time viewer, can be a difficult film to embrace. Dialogue is kept to a minimum, and when it does occur, is often puzzling. The narrative is disjointed, resulting in sometimes abrupt cuts and images which don't seem to fit. Most disconcerting is a shot of a gravedigger which has been reversed, or the shadow of a solider which seeks to rejoin its host. All these scenes and many more give the film its nightmare logic, which is all the more memorable for what it DOESN'T show.

For all their technical wizardry, I've almost always found Criterion Collection discs left me wanting more in the way of supplemental materials. Well, with VAMPYR. . .all is forgiven! Disc 2 offers a fascinating "visual essay" which recounts director Carl Dreyer's influences that helped shaped the film. There's also a 1966 documentary on Dreyer himself, covering his first silent films up to his final effort in 1964. There's some great archival footage of Francois Truffaut and others offering their insight into the director and his films. Back on Disc 1, you'll find a rather droll audio commentary by British film scholar Tony Rayns. While his observations do occasionally help make some of Dreyer's creative intentions more clear, Rayns spends too much time engaged in idle speculation over such trivia as the proper pronunciation of "Carmilla" author Sheridan Le Fanu's name.

As if that wasn't enough, VAMPYR also includes a nice full-sized book that contains not only the original screenplay, but the entire text of "Carmilla." Reading them back-to-back, one can easily see how Dreyer was influenced but not really guided by the original story. Lastly, a booklet includes additional essays about the film and its resoration.

Simply put, anyone interested in classic horror, or the history of early sound films MUST have this terrific set in their collection. Criterion is to be commended for pulling out all the stops and crafting what I'm sure will prove to be a treasured archive of an often-overlooked piece of film history.

It's time to replace your Image copy of VAMPYR with this stunning new release from Criterion. My preordered copy actually arrived on the day of release, even with the free shipping option (thanks, Amazon!), and I watched the feature last night.

While the version from Image is not unwatchable, the improvement that Criterion offers is major. The image is still quite soft, but has been thoroughly cleaned up. And the print they used either did not have all of those "punch holes" that the Image disc has, or they did an excellent job of filling them in. The sound is also very much improved. And gone are the ugly black rectangles containing the subtitles in an Old English-style font; the subtitles can be turned on and off, and they are in the typical kind of easy-to-read sans serif font you find on most DVDs.

The Criterion release includes two versions of the film: one with the intertitles and book text insert shots in German, the other with intertitles and book text insert shots in English. Both have the dialogue in German, so subtitles are still needed when viewing the English text version (unless you're fluent in German, of course). Dreyer reportedly made the film in English, French, and German versions (and also in Danish?--in one of the DVDs, can't remember which, the father writes his note on the wrapped-up book in Danish). Sadly, the original English version of the film is no longer extant, at least not in a condition that is watchable.

I have not yet delved into the supplemental materials, but they seem to be substantial. The packaging is exquisite, and very appropriate to the feature. The heavy paper slipcase holds a fold-out DVD case (illustrated with images from the film) containing the two discs and a thick booklet with several interesting articles. Also in the slipcase is a paperbound book containing an English translation of the original screenplay and the original story "Carmilla" by J. Sheridan le Fanu.

I just about jumped out of my chair when I saw that Vampyr was getting the Criterion treatment. I love this film and own the first dvd pressing of it which is alright so I can only imagine seeing it get the care that is deserves. Already put my pre-order in and am counting down the days.

Update: I just got the dvd today and it's brilliant! The box and packaging is beautiful. The transfer far exceeds that quality of the first release on dvd. I just finished watching it about an hour ago and will be watching again as soon as I finish typing this update. Well worth it and one of my favorite Criterion releases.