The Hands of Orlac Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Hands of Orlac Blu-ray Movie Review

A spooky horror-thriller of the silent era.

Hands of Orlac is a dark gothic horror production. The silent era film is based on the novel by Maurice Renard. The Eureka Entertainment release includes the original German intertitles. Starring Conrad Veidt, the eerie thriller has plenty of spooky scares for fans of silent horror films.

A beloved and renowned pianist, Paul Orlac (Conrad Veidt) becomes injured in a terrible train accident which leaves his hands disfigured. Orlac loses both hands. Following a surgical procedure to replace both hands, Orlac is given a new chance at making music – and continuing his legacy as a pianist. However, the hands given in surgery belonged to a murderer – something Orlac never expected. Everything changes. Can Orlac survive his cursed hands?

Conrad Veidt delivers a strong performance in the leading role. As a silent era feature-film, the role required Veidt to excel without words: providing the performance with a strong physicality that is essential to the filmmaking. With exaggerated expressions and an emphasis on his haunted hands, Conrad Veidt delves headfirst into the performance.

The cinematography by Hans Androschin (A Girl of the Street, No Children Wanted) and Gunther Krampf (Rome Express, The Ghoul) is one of the best elements of the film. The eerie and unsettling black and white cinematography is Gothic in tone. The style sets the mood and tempo. Exploring a dark thematic backdrop, Hands of Orlac is effective at bringing a sense of horror to the filmmaking.

Haunted hands.

The art direction by Stefan Wessely (The Knight of the Rose, Eros in Ketten) is another component that impressed. The stylistic flourishes add to the setting. The sets and locations are spooky and provide a haunted-house type of vibe as Orlac struggles with his possessed hands. These production cues fit the material nicely and enhance the story.

The score composed by Johannes Kalitzke (Inferno, Pym) provides a frenetic under- current that is all too spooky. Fans of classic silent film scores in the horror genre will find the mood-setting score an effective component. Kalitzke adds a unique Gothic style to each scene and the material fits like a glove.

The screenplay by Louis Nerz (The Man Who Laughs, The Knight of the Rose) is compelling. The dark undercurrents of the story are well told. The haunted-hands element makes an impression. The intertitles help tell the story and it unfolds better as a result.

Director Robert Wiene (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Amateur Adventuress) crafted a compelling production that horror-buffs will find worthwhile. Though the Hands of Orlac is not as well known compared to Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , the film is still a compelling acheivement with standout performances – especially from the leading-actor. Wiene certainly imbues the film with enormous style. Worth a watch.

The Hands of Orlac Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment in the Masters of Cinema series, Hands of Orlac is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.34:1 full frame. The presentation is somewhat average in several regards. The encode has average black levels. The presentation has an abundance of thin scratches, patches of dirt, and other debris.

The scan is also somewhat soft and many scenes are not as sharp as desired. While the presentation is reasonably detailed looking for a silent era production, the soft elements are disappointing and make the scan an average one. A better than standard-definition encode but far from a mesmerizing high-definition presentation.

The Hands of Orlac Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo in 24 bit high resolution. The lossless audio far excels the video presentation. The release demonstrates exceptional audio clarity for the original music soundtrack. The score composed by Johannes Kalitzke sounds crisp and clear throughout. The original original German intertitles are provided.

The Hands of Orlac Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Stephen Jones & Kim Newman

Extremities (HD, 26:23) by David Cairns & Fiona Watson. A visual essay exploring Hands of Orlac.

Hands of Orlac: Alternate Presentation (SD, 1:52:46) is sourced from a version which was kept by the Murnau Foundation. English intertitles provided. Presented with the participation of Kino Lorber. Score composed by Paul Mercer.

Hands of Orlac version comparison (SD, 13:49) compares the different restorations of the feature-film. The comparison featurette is courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The Hands of Orlac Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hands of Orlac is a compelling silent era classic. The Gothic horror-thriller features a strong leading performance by Conrad Veidt as a world renowned pianist who loses his hands in an accident and replaces them with haunted hands – taken from a dangerous murder. The horror element is strong throughout the silent production. The Blu-ray release features an average video presentation but includes a strong lossless audio sound mix. The release also includes a selection of extras. Recommended.