Genuine: The Tragedy of a Vampire

About the production

The film was produced immediately after Wiene's success with 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' and featured elaborate Expressionist sets designed by Walter Reimann, Hermann Warm, and Walter Röhrig. The production faced challenges with the complex costume designs and special effects needed for the portrait coming to life sequence. The film was shot in the summer of 1920 at Decla's studios in Berlin-Tempelhof.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

By 1920, Genuine: The Tragedy of a Vampire had entered distribution via Decla-Bioscop AG, reflecting standard practice for its budget tier.

Why this film matters

Specialists compare Genuine: The Tragedy of a Vampire with contemporaries to trace how 1920 cinema handled since completing a portrait of genuine, a high priestess, percy becomes irritable and with.

Making of

The production of 'Genuine' was marked by intense artistic collaboration and innovation. Director Robert Wiene brought together the same team of Expressionist artists who had created the revolutionary sets for 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.' Walter Reimann, Walter Röhrig, and Hermann Warm designed the surreal, angular sets that distorted perspective and created a dreamlike atmosphere. The costume design was particularly ambitious, with Fern Andra's outfits featuring elaborate geometric patterns and unconventional silhouettes that emphasized the character's otherworldly nature. The special effects sequence showing Genuine emerging from the painting was accomplished using multiple exposure techniques and careful matte work, representing cutting-edge filmmaking for the time. The production faced challenges with the complex lighting required for the Expressionist style and the precise timing needed for the supernatural sequences. Wiene insisted on using real paint and canvas materials for the portrait scenes to enhance authenticity, and the crew spent weeks perfecting the illusion of the painted figure coming to life.

What critics said

Modern notes on Genuine: The Tragedy of a Vampire focus on its since completing a portrait of genuine, a high priestess, percy becomes irritable and with rather than any original 1920 sensation.

Did you know?

• The film was Robert Wiene's immediate follow-up to his groundbreaking success with 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920)
• The original German title was 'Genuine. Ein Trauerspiel in vier Akten' (Genuine: A Tragedy in Four Acts)
• The film was considered lost for decades until a partial print was discovered in the 1990s
• Fern Andra, who played Genuine, was an American actress who became a major star in German cinema during the silent era
• The screenplay was written by Fritz Lang's wife, Thea von Harbou, who would later write many of Lang's famous films
• The intertitles featured poetry by Karl Gustav Vollmoeller, adding literary depth to the visual narrative
• The film's avant-garde costumes were designed by artist Walter Reimann, who also worked on 'Caligari'
• Despite being marketed as a vampire film, Genuine is more accurately described as a hypnotic seductress or femme fatale figure
• The film was part of a brief but influential wave of German supernatural films in the early 1920s
• Only about 40 minutes of the original footage survives, with some scenes lost to time
• The film's release was delayed due to post-war film stock shortages in Germany

Visual style

The cinematography by Willy Hameister employed innovative techniques characteristic of German Expressionism, including dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, distorted camera angles, and the use of shadows to create psychological tension. The camera work emphasized the geometric patterns of the sets and costumes, often shooting from low angles to enhance the sense of disorientation and unease. The film utilized practical lighting effects to create the supernatural atmosphere, particularly in scenes involving Genuine's emergence from the painting. The cinematography also featured careful composition to highlight the contrast between the angular, artificial world of the sets and the more organic presence of the characters.

Innovations

Genuine pioneered several technical innovations in special effects and set design. The sequence showing Genuine emerging from the painting utilized sophisticated multiple exposure techniques that were cutting-edge for 1920. The film's elaborate matte paintings and forced perspective sets created impossible architectural spaces that would influence set design for decades. The production also experimented with color tinting, using different hues to enhance emotional impact and distinguish between reality and supernatural elements. The costume department developed new techniques for creating geometric patterns that would photograph well under the demanding lighting conditions required for Expressionist cinematography.

Music

As a silent film, Genuine would have been accompanied by live musical performance during its original theatrical run. The specific musical scores used are not documented, but they likely included popular classical pieces and original compositions typical of German cinema of the period. Modern restorations have featured new scores by contemporary composers who attempt to capture the Expressionist mood of the film. These modern scores often incorporate dissonant harmonies, unconventional instrumentation, and rhythmic complexity to complement the film's visual style and psychological themes.

Famous quotes

The portrait lives... and I die within it

Art is the mirror through which the soul escapes

She who was painted in blood now paints with blood

The artist creates his own destruction when he creates perfection

Memorable scenes

• The dramatic sequence where Genuine slowly emerges from the painted canvas, her form materializing through layers of special effects; the climactic confrontation between artist and creation in the distorted studio space; the montage of Genuine's hypnotic influence over her victims, shown through superimposed images and rapid cuts; the final scene where the portrait regains its power, suggesting the cyclical nature of art and obsession

What audiences thought

Initial audience response was lukewarm compared to the enthusiastic reception for 'Caligari.' Many viewers found the film's abstract style and ambiguous narrative challenging, though some appreciated its visual spectacle. The film performed modestly at the box office but didn't achieve the commercial success of Wiene's previous work. Contemporary audiences viewing the restored version often express fascination with the film's avant-garde aesthetics but note the difficulty in fully appreciating its impact due to the incomplete nature of the surviving footage. The film has developed a cult following among silent film enthusiasts and scholars of German Expressionism.

Film connections

Influenced by

• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
• German Expressionist painting
• Gothic literature
• Symbolist poetry
• Freudian psychology
• Occult and esoteric traditions
• Theater of the Absurd

This film influenced

• Nosferatu (1922)
• The Student of Prague (1926)
• Vampyr (1932)
• Cat People (1942)
• Repulsion (1965)
• The Hunger (1983)
• The Company of Wolves (1984)

Film restoration

Partially preserved - approximately 40 minutes of footage survives from what was originally a longer feature. The film was considered lost until the 1990s when a partial print was discovered in a European film archive. The surviving footage has been restored by film preservationists but some key sequences remain missing. The restored version includes reconstructed intertitles based on original scripts and contemporary reviews.

Where to watch

• Available on DVD/Blu-ray from specialty distributors like Kino Lorber and Flicker Alley
• Streaming on The Criterion Channel (availability varies by region)
• Accessible through university film archives and library collections
• Occasionally screened at film festivals and cinematheques specializing in silent cinema
• Available on some classic film streaming platforms with proper licensing