THE HAUNTED CASTLE

(A.k.a. SCHLOSS VOGELOED)

THE HAUNTED CASTLE begins with flashcard text describing the story that is about to unfold as a "revelatory" matter split into 5 acts, and based on an original story by Rudolf Stratz.

And so, on to Act 1. It brings us to Castle Vogelod, where an October Hunt is taking place amid the month’s characteristic rain. Several guests lounge around in the castle’s study smoking, while their host, the castle’s Lord, sees to their needs.

The jovial mood of the evening is soured when the butler announces the arrival of the latest guest: Count Oetsch (Lothar Mehnert). As the Lord ushers the Count into a separate room for a private conversation, the chatter among his other guests begins.

One, a retired judge, spells out their concern: it transpires that Oetsch is said to have murdered his brother three years earlier, thus leaving him as the sole heir to their estate. Despite everyone strongly suspecting his guilt at the time of the murder trial, Oestch was never convicted of any crime.

In the backroom, the Lord implores Oestch to leave. He is, after all, expecting his brother’s widow as one of his guests later that evening. Oetsch simply looks smug as he settles back into an armchair and lights a cigarette. He’s not going anywhere.

The unease is there to feel as the widow, now carrying the title of Baroness Safferstatt (Olga Tschechowa) arrives a short while later via horse and carriage. She’s flanked by her new husband, the Baron (Paul Bildt).

As predicted, the Baroness is somewhat distressed by the presence of Oetsch. She’s even more put out when she learns that someone called Father Faramund (Victor Bluetner) is travelling there from Rome to see her too.

It seems Oetsch may have a motive for turning up at the castle on this night – one which involves unearthing ugly family secrets and revealing a killer’s identity ...

For a film from the silent era, THE HAUNTED CASTLE has an extremely fluent, accomplished grip on its manner of storytelling. It engages from the off and the pace is kept satisfyingly brisk throughout its 71-minute running time.

Compositions are simple but striking, while director F W Murnau eschews the special effects that highlighted more famous films of his such as NOSFERATU and FAUST, in favour of focusing on character here. Consequently, he exhibits great skill at exploring character motivations and foibles, resulting in a highly involving whodunit scenario.

Of the performers, Mehnert stands out with his imposing screen presence and deeply sinister expressions. He’s compelling whenever he’s on the screen, which is a good thing as he’s very much the character that propels the action.

Act 5 provides a rewarding denouement, despite the fact that the film was shot in 16 days and was completed before the conclusion of Stratz’s serial novel had been published.

While not as showy as the other aforementioned Murnau films, THE HAUNTED CASTLE is solid entertainment in its own right. The title may suggest an element of the supernatural, but there is none: this owes more to the likes of Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Eureka have released the film as part of their esteemed Masters Of Cinema range.

Their disc presents the film fully remastered in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Boasting a new restoration from the original German negative and a Brazilian nitrate print, the transfer is quite extraordinary. A rich blend of deep green and sepia taints, THE HAUNTED CASTLE looks remarkably clean and sharp considering its 1921 origins.

The film’s music score comes in a decent Dolby Digital 2.0 audio mix. This being a "silent" film, it’s good to see that the original German intertitles have been saved. There is a disclaimer that comes with the press release, however, advising that some intertitles have been newly restored using the original shooting script and the original flash card design. This is a good thing, obviously – a lengthy disclaimer also at the start of the film explains why.

Optional English subtitles are well-written and easy to read.

Static menus include a scene-selection menu allowing access to the main feature via 10 chapters.

For such an aged film, it would be hardly surprising if there were no bonus features to complement THE HAUNTED CASTLE. Good old Eureka, however, furnish us with an excellent 31-minute featurette: "The Language of the Shadows".

In it, short filmmaker-turned-documentarian Luciano Berriatua employs narrator Thomas Lang to shed new light on Murnau as the meticulous, controlling director that he was. Archive footage is interspersed with 2007 interview clips with relatives of Murnau, author Walter Spies and the director’s frequent collaborator, Robert Herlth.

Berriatua’s film proves to be a fascinating appendage to the main feature, focusing on his early works in academic but nonetheless engaging style.

Also included in this set but not included for the purpose of review, is an illustrated booklet.

All in all, THE HAUNTED CASTLE is an intriguing piece of cinematic history and has been given a very good DVD release from the folk at Eureka.

Review by Stu Willis