Figures de Cire (1914) directed by Maurice Tourneur
Viewed on July 14, 2019
Synopsis:
At a dinner party, Pierre de Lionne vows that he can spend the night in the most sinister place without fear. He and his friend, Jacques, go to a wax museum, bribing the caretaker to take them inside. Pierre stays the night while Jacques waits outside. At first, Pierre scoffs at the notion of being scare by the wax figures and the scenes of death and violence that are depicted. But as the night progresses, he becomes increasingly disturbed. (Meanwhile, at 2am, the guests in the party get tired of waiting and go home.) Jacques decides to go inside to frighten Pierre. Pierre is indeed frightened to see what appears to be a moving shadow. Actually, Jacques is silhouetted behind a scrim. Pierre takes a knife and stabs at the shadow, slicing the screen and killing Jacques.
Commentary:
The surviving print is damaged, but is watchable enough to enjoy an atmospheric early horror film. Maurice Tourneur's pictorial effects are most effective, as here, when they are in service of a brutal subject. He can sometimes be cloyingly sweet.
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