'Schloß Vogelöd' was directed by F.W. Murnau in 1921, during the German Expressionism.
The cinematography plays with colors in a really good way. Dream sequences are blue and green, flashbacks are lighter yellow and when things get dramatic it's dark yellow. But the thing that shows the atmosphere incredibly well is the setting. The castle looks absolutely amazing - because of the architecture most of the shots are symmetrical.
The movie is one of the first thriller-crime films in Cinema as how the plot is taking place in the castle. Schlossherr Von Veogelschrey (Arnold Korff) and his wife Centa (Lulu Kyser-Korff) are having people over for a hunt. The weather however interferes and they can't go. Everything starts to happen all at once Johann Oetsch (Paul Hartmann) arrives. It's because his former sister-in-law: Baronin Safferstatt (Olga Tschechowa) and her husband (Paul Bildt) arrive as well. The problem here, is that rumors say, Count Oetsch has killed his brother who was the Baronin's former husband and everything gets even more complicated once the priest arrives.
Characters here are not that iconic, however, the actors are. Paul Hartmann has such a complex charisma on screen, you can't take your eyes off him and Olga feels like a royalty as she holds herself.
This movie has an insane twist and the last act is the best because of this. I was a bit bored before the twist was revealed - but it was such a good reveal the whole film was worth it.
Oetsch disguised himself as the Priest all along - making the Baronin admit the truth: she killed her husband with the help of her new husband. The baronin, however, has no idea that Oetsch was the Priest. Murnau has a little joke by the end of the movie - showing the real Priest on screen for a little second, which made me laugh.
Neil Brandt's music in this version is a great tension riser, not to mention the story was adapted from the novel called "Berliner Illustrierten Zeitung" by Rudolf Stratz and Carl Mayer adapted it to screenplay (Who wrote Dr. Caligari) that's why the twist is genuinely well done.
It's far from the best work of Murnau's, but his next year's work, which ended up being a masterpiece (Nosferatu) can be seen here, in very little parts - through the camera work, and the lighting. Everyone has to start somewhere, and Murnau's start might have been a bit earlier, but this film was the one that started his train of talent.
The cinematography plays with colors in a really good way. Dream sequences are blue and green, flashbacks are lighter yellow and when things get dramatic it's dark yellow. But the thing that shows the atmosphere incredibly well is the setting. The castle looks absolutely amazing - because of the architecture most of the shots are symmetrical.
The movie is one of the first thriller-crime films in Cinema as how the plot is taking place in the castle. Schlossherr Von Veogelschrey (Arnold Korff) and his wife Centa (Lulu Kyser-Korff) are having people over for a hunt. The weather however interferes and they can't go. Everything starts to happen all at once Johann Oetsch (Paul Hartmann) arrives. It's because his former sister-in-law: Baronin Safferstatt (Olga Tschechowa) and her husband (Paul Bildt) arrive as well. The problem here, is that rumors say, Count Oetsch has killed his brother who was the Baronin's former husband and everything gets even more complicated once the priest arrives.
Characters here are not that iconic, however, the actors are. Paul Hartmann has such a complex charisma on screen, you can't take your eyes off him and Olga feels like a royalty as she holds herself.
This movie has an insane twist and the last act is the best because of this. I was a bit bored before the twist was revealed - but it was such a good reveal the whole film was worth it.
Oetsch disguised himself as the Priest all along - making the Baronin admit the truth: she killed her husband with the help of her new husband. The baronin, however, has no idea that Oetsch was the Priest. Murnau has a little joke by the end of the movie - showing the real Priest on screen for a little second, which made me laugh.
Neil Brandt's music in this version is a great tension riser, not to mention the story was adapted from the novel called "Berliner Illustrierten Zeitung" by Rudolf Stratz and Carl Mayer adapted it to screenplay (Who wrote Dr. Caligari) that's why the twist is genuinely well done.
It's far from the best work of Murnau's, but his next year's work, which ended up being a masterpiece (Nosferatu) can be seen here, in very little parts - through the camera work, and the lighting. Everyone has to start somewhere, and Murnau's start might have been a bit earlier, but this film was the one that started his train of talent.