Released in 1924, Waxworks was the last German production from director Paul Leni. He would later go on to direct films including The Cat and the Canary, The Who Laughs, and The Last Warning. Now the film arrives on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. It’s not technically the original film, that print was lost, potentially destroyed, years before; the version released has been painstakingly put together from other prints found lurking within various archives.
Anyone with a keen interest in film history will find plenty to dig through with this release. In addition to seeing the film itself, which is an excellent restoration, there is a wealth of special features. Waxworks comes with two choices of audio accompaniments – a piano or orchestral score, an audio commentary from Australian film and arts critic, Adrian Martin, and an in-depth conversation with Kim Newman, who charts the legacy of the film. There’s also the inclusion of Leni’s series of crossword style shorts that played during cinema presentations, a piece looking at the restoration itself, and the first wave of discs come with an additional booklets featuring several essays on the history of the film. There’s so much to delve through that it’ll keep fans entertained for hours.
The story sees a young man hired to work within a wax museum, his job, to create stories for three of the figures. He works on the ideas with the daughter of the museum owner, and as they imagine exoctic and evocative tales for them, they begin to fall in love.
Waxworks as a feature is a shining example of the silent era of cinema. The sets and costumes, which Leni had a hand in, are memorably striking, encompassing the Germanic expressionist movement beautifully. Technically told more like three separate shorts run together rather than a straight feature, the film explored what was considered back then to be the darker side of cinema. By today’s standards it is obviously tame, but it’s always good to trace the origins of things and this is a classic portrayal of early ‘horror’. Whilst it may not strike fear into the hearts of those that watch it, Waxworks will educate and entertain. It’s important to keep in touch with the past, and restorations like this are essential to keep the love of cinema alive and thriving.
Waxworks is available on Blu-Ray now.
Waxworks
Summary
A wonderful release that will delight any with a passion for true film history.
