film and architecture section: Waxwork by Paul Leni, architecture and film appreciation

category: Architecture and Film
film index: 59
relationship with architecture: expressionist symbolization of horror architecture
study subject in: The waterloo University syllabus (click HERE for syllabus)

film: Waxwork
director: Paul Leni
writers: Henrik Galeen
production: Germany
release: May13, 1973
playtime: 63 mins
visual: BnW
Language: silent
Subtitles:
Genre: Fantasy, horror
Cast: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Emil Jannings, William Dieterle, Georg John
size: 769 mb

reference: tesla.liketelevision.com ,thepiratebay.org, www.onlytorrents.com,

Description and download:

Waxworks (original title: Das Wachsfigurenkabinett) is an 1924 fantasy/horror silent film directed by Paul Leni. The film is about a writer who accepts a job from a waxworks proprietor to write a series of stories about the exhibits of Caliph of Baghdad (Emil Jannings), Ivan the Terrible (Conrad Veidt) and Jack the Ripper (Werner Krauss) in the museum in order to boost business.

Although Waxworks is often credited as a horror film, it is an anthology film that goes through various genre's including a fantasy adventure, a historical ilm, and a horror film through its various episodes.

Although Leni is credited with full direction, Leo Birinski is said to have actually directed the actors. Leni was mostly responsible for the settings with the assistance of Fritz Maurischat.

'Waxworks' is an early example in film history of a movie that's clearly in homage to another film--in this case, 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920). The expressionistic stylization in the film is obviously influenced by 'Caligari,' and a few references to that film reinforces that, beginning with the title. The literal translation of 'Das Wachsfigurenkabinett' is 'The Wax Figures Cabinet'--the keyword being "cabinet." Additionally, the frame narrative is purposefully set at a carnival, although a more dimensional one than the stage setting in 'Caligari.'The narrative structure is closer to Fritz Lang's 'Destiny' (1921), with the framing of three odd stories. 'Waxworks' has the clever device of a writer of the inner stories in the framing story. And, the three biggest stars of Weimer Germany (Emil Jannings, Conrad Veidt and Werner Krauss) play the historical villains and waxworks come alive in the inner stories. For the three inner stories, a different expressionistic technique dominates, each relating to and enhancing their respective themes. In the Harus al Raschid narrative featuring Jannings, it's the sets--Paul Leni's foray--with oddly shaped architecture more akin to 'Caligari' than Baghdad. Especially nice is the staircase set. Rather than the horrific, surreal abstraction of 'Caligari,' however, the sets are delightfully peculiar, as is Jannings and the silly story.

Low-key lighting dominates the Ivan the Terrible episode featuring a darkly paranoid Veidt, and the multiple exposure kaleidoscope imagery places Krauss' stalking serial killer everywhere.

Imdb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014586/
wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waxworks_%28film%29

screencaps:

sneak peaks:

the film can be seen totally online through the 9 part you tube videos. you can individually download those movies and stitch them together using any movie editing software. the 9 parts are given below sequencially. the quality is not that good. but i guess it is what is available as the movie is quite lost in time.

part 1: