Up until recently the only thing I knew about this title (Eyes Without a Face/Les yeux sans visage, in France) was that it was a Billy Idol song:
Then I was watching TCM and saw guest programmer Anthony Bourdain talking about the film and thought – what the heck, a French horror film, co-starring Alida Valli. Can’t be too bad. I had no idea of what was in store …
SYNOPSIS (from the Criterion Collection):
Secluded in the French countryside, a brilliant, obsessive doctor attempts a radical plastic surgery to restore the beauty of his daughter’s disfigured face—but at a horrifying price. At once ghastly and lyrical, Eyes Without a Face is a true rarity of horror cinema and has influenced countless films.
That about sums it up. Check out this (rather long) trailer to get a better sense of where the film is going:
Originally released in France in 1959, the film originally hit our shores in 1962, was dubbed and given a new title: The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus; in addition, it was double-billed with The Manster, a Japanese horror film.
Currently, Eyes Without a Face is available on DVD for your enjoyment 🙂
Wow. I’m not sure I was aware of it being doubled with THE MANSTER (a not-terrible…but close…two-headed human monster film). But the way things are going, THE MANSTER will also get its own Criterion download eventually. Meanwhile, I’m glad you caught up with EYES…which I rather suspect had some influence on the likes of THE SKIN I LIVE IN, among so much else between then and now.
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Yeah the Manster does not sound like a film that would win any awards … in the TCM commentary Bourdain mentioned that this film was often mistakenly double billed with far inferior fare.
I am firmly convinced that this film would scare me as much today as it did a few years ago when I first saw it. And THE SKIN I LIVE IN did too.
I must admit that I squinted my eyes a few times during some of the scenes
Amazing movie really, even if not a favourite – and it does have an odd, fairy tale atmospehere even if the surgical scenes are remarkably blunt (but then Franju’s dosumentary about abbatoirs is still shocking).Well worth a lok, even today – good choice as always!
Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) recently posted..Rynox (1932) – Tuesday’s Forgotten Film
Very bizzare indeed … in a good way.
I really love this movie, it’s very spooky and beautiful. I found it while waiting for “The Skin I live in” which is a little bit similiar, though not as excellent as this one.
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Still have to see The Skin I Live In. I really want to see it.
My advice would be to read as little as you can or nothing about it prior to watching, there are many great twists and turns in this one!
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Will do Sati!
Oooh this one does look quite eerie.
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Yeah not sure it will be your cuppa, Ruth 🙂
Oh gosh, sounds a bit too TOO for me. I’d never even heard of it before.
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It is an interesting picture that is for sure …