La Chute de la Maison Usher (1928)
Genre: Horror / Drama
Duration: 63 minuten
Alternative title: The Fall of the House of Usher
Country:
France
Directed by: Jean Epstein
Stars: Jean Debucourt, Marguerite Gance and Charles Lamy
IMDb score:
7,2 (5.022)
Releasedate: 4 October 1928
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
La Chute de la Maison Usher plot
A stranger named Allan (Charles Lamy) goes to an inn and requests transportation to the House of Usher. One remains hesitant, but he gets a bus to transport himself to the place. He is the only friend of Roderick Usher (Jean Debucourt), who lives in the terrifying house with his ailing wife Madeleine Usher (Margriet Gance) and her doctor (Fournez-Goffard). Madeleine is the beloved muse and model and she was painted by Roderick. When she dies, Roderick cannot accept this, and one dark night, Madeleine returns...
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
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- 87623 messages
- 12891 votes
Pretty okay.
I know Poe mainly by reputation, I have never read his stories themselves. What I already know about it mainly comes from film adaptations. I didn't know either Usher or Oval Portrait, so I have no idea how close Epstein stayed to the original stories, but it seems clear to me that he was mainly interested in the atmosphere.
That was also quite satisfactory. Very atmospheric, both in terms of setting and cinematography. I must also say that the score worked well. I have no idea which version I saw, but luckily no voiceovers for me. Atmospheric piano music that often sounded a bit more modern/abstract. It remains difficult with these types of films, which do not really have a "fixed" soundtrack, because music is extremely decisive for the atmosphere of a film.
An hour is more than enough, because technically it is a bit too limited for me and the story itself was not really interesting. But the atmospheric decoration and fine musical accompaniment make this film a worthy classic.
2.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Woland
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- 4810 messages
- 3826 votes
Visually very beautiful, and La Chute de la Maison Usher also relies on the pleasant atmosphere provided by the dark, slightly hallucinatory images. The accompanying music also worked excellently to enhance that atmosphere. However, despite the modest length, I still found it a bit difficult to read, especially because I did not find the story that interesting. I remember not liking the original story very much either, although it was too long ago to remember in much detail how much this follows the book. Also not very relevant. As a film in itself, it still holds up well in terms of atmosphere, and Epstein also uses a lot of visual tricks that work well and were undoubtedly also innovative in that period. But it was more to admire than enjoy, in this case.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
There are apparently many versions of Edgar Allan Poe's play. This original filmed version dates from 1928 and this was evident from the poor image quality. A fairly limited playing time with its 61 minutes, but still quite lengthy indeed. You have to wait until Madeleine's death before things move forward.
Then suddenly the wind picks up, the doors rattle, a storm arises and Roderick's piercing eyes are frenzied. A funny moment during one of the pancartes: "Tous les nerfs tendus, Roderick semble geutter on ne sait quel signe. Le moindre bruit l'exaspère...". Well yes, the sounds were indeed irritating. I read some knocking here somewhere, it hit the nail on the head, but it also has its charms.
Obviously not scary at all, but well made in the context of the possibilities and the time at that time. Not great, but certainly meritorious and respected.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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