A 1921, lesser known, early effort from one of the pioneers of the silent German expressionism movement, F.W Murnau, The Haunted Castle or to give it its full title Schloss Vogelod: Die Enthullung eines Geheimnisses [Castle Vogelod: The Revelation of a Secret] is surely a film to be sombrely appreciated rather than enjoyed. After all a horror film made nine tenths of a century ago couldnt possibly hold any entertainment value for modern audiences could it?
Well, yes it could. For proof look no further than Murnaus own Nosferatu released the year after The Haunted Castle. Its a nightmarish, intensely atmospheric and briskly paced story that holds up fantastically well. Unfortunately, it seems that when Murnau made The Haunted Castle he hadnt yet hit his horror stride. In fact in many ways it feels like a dry run for Nosferatu. It has a lot of the same spooky atmosphere, but in terms of suspense, pace and an interesting story it falls short.
The Haunted Castle tells the tale of a party of aristocratic types who descend on Lord Vogelods country manor (it is neither a castle nor is it overtly haunted) for a spot of hunting. The jollity is interrupted when Count Oetsch (Lothar Mehnert) turns up uninvited. He is suspected of the murder of his brother who was married to Baroness Safferstatt (Olga Tschechowa), who is also at the party with her new husband. Awkward…
Of course it soon transpires that all is not as it seems, and events culminate in what may in fact be the least shocking twist in cinema history. Its hard to imagine anyone watching this film, either today and 90 years ago, not seeing it coming a mile off.
The story feels very stilted. Murnau was unusual among his contemporaries (such as Fritz Lang and Robert Wiene), for using real, dramatic locations in his films rather than confining them to studios. However, with the exception of a few windswept establishing shots, The Haunted Castle was filmed entirely on, admittedly beautifully elaborate, sets. It was probably Murnaus intention to give his film this languid, claustrophobic air but it also makes it feel a bit like watching a particularly ponderous bit of silent theatre.
Luckily proceedings are given an injection of terror through trippy flashbacks and dream sequences, and this is where Murnau is in his element. One alarmingly visceral nightmare sequence in particular foreshadows not only Nosferatu but also Evil Dead, proving that Murnau wasnt just ahead of his time; he was round the corner setting traps for it!
Overall Verdict: Those hoping for a silent scare fest ala Nosferatu will be disappointed with this comparatively slow, static mood piece. But its still soaked in atmosphere and has some genuinely creepy moments; ideal for providing some background ambience at a Halloween party.
Special Features:
The Language of the Shadows A 31 minute documentary on the early films of F.W Murnau.
Name of Reviewer: Adam Pidgeon