That was an excellent one.

Absolutely Brilliant!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Previous writers have covered the plot of this film pretty comprehensively. My copy is poor, visually, but has a score made up of preludes and fugues, trio sonatas and chorale preludes by J.S Bach played on the organ and including, in the confrontation between Orlac and "Vasser", the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV565).This has no connection with the plot of the film, but makes for a decent recital in its own right. This copy, from English Language Video, is made up of the best bits of three prints from various sources with renewed intertitles. This means that the tale seems to lack logic and continuity, however, enough remains to hold the interest and to point up the films origins in the expressionist school. Veidt's portrayal of Orlac's descent into near insanity occasionally draws on Cesare,the somnambulist of "Dr. Caligari" but the story does not have the depth or psychology of the wider impressionist canon. In all, a curiosity but little else, even for fans of Conrad Veidt.

I must say I was pretty disappointed while watching this one. It's one of the classic movies from the age of German Expressionism, but I cannot call this a masterpiece. Wiene was a director of remarkable "Kabinett des Doktor Caligari" and "Orlacs Hände" doesn't seem to be as successful as this great picture. The action is quite interesting, acting is very good, idea is inspiring but it's also very naive. Specially the ending was too childish and I found myself hard to believe in it. But, I should also admit that Wiene's movie has some kind of intriguing atmosphere, which makes the whole thing worth watching. If you're enthusiastic to German cinema of the decade you should watch this one, but don't expect too much.

I saw Orlacs Hände at the Ghent filmfestival this year with a live score. I must say I thought it was very good, although I didn't agree with the new score all the time... The story is both simple and ridiculous (like any good scare movie): A world renown pianist loses his hands in a trainaccident and gets a transplant from a convicted criminal. The hands of course take over or do they. This film does not excell in great acting or storytelling but more in the subtle building of an atmosphere that becomes so haunting that it nearly becomes unbearable. If you like horror movies from the silent age, without blood or gore but with loads of atmosphere, then this is an absolute must-see.

One of the real classics of Expressionism -- even the Americans think so, to judge from the fact that they've remade it (badly) several times. To be sure, the premise won't stand examination (but then, it's horror), and a modern viewer may find it hard to adjust to the actors' Expressionist grimacing. However, the movie is consistently suspenseful due to its heavy dark atmosphere and communication of mental torment. The fear of one's own body is a dynamite theme if it's as well presented as it is here.