Here we have, "The House of the Devil," by the first film genius, Georges Melies. This film was claimed to be the very first horror film ever made. I suppose that, "Nosferatu" was the first legitimate horror film and it may have been the very film to perfect the genre, but this was the very beginning. People should have figured out before hand that someone like this would make films this groundbreaking for the time. Let us dive right into the very first horror film from the very first creative mind of film making."The House of the Devil" is certainly a reliable candidate to be the very film that started the horror film genre rolling. It appears as though there are some comedic elements to the films, "plot," such as the confused and frightened residents of the house. It is very realistic to how these people act. It's as if these are normal people, in a house, but way too scared to think. You have this guy that breaks into a house and just messes with the people inside it. I think that it gave Georges an opportunity to utilize his film splicing ability. There are many instances where Georges takes a character that has, "mystical powers," and puts him in a situation (or doesn't) where he has to use his powers to either reek havoc or entertain the audience.
The plot is not something that you generally need to focus on with a film made in the 1800's, but I do think that it was this film maker that added something new to the table when it came to the art of film making. Georges Melies used creative imagery to tell a story. Instead of trying to tell a story using early sub titles or realism, he chose the extreme alternative. His films are literally moving abstract pictures. This film in particular, was the first to depict the Bram Stoker-lore of how vampires worked. They turn into bats, freak people out, and have cross-fobia. Georges Melies was a titan in the creative film industry. May it always stay that way.
To humble beginnings, my friends.
6/10
Next Review: A Terrible Night 1896
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