Criterion Collection: Eyes Without a Face [DVD] [1960] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

With so many unforgettable moments - from the opening scene (accompanied by highly disturbing carnival music) of vampish Louise driving in her 2CV to dump a body at the banks of the Seine; to the unflinching shots of `mad scientist' Dr Genessier's horrific surgical experiments, and the sublime scenes of Christiane gliding ethereally down the steps from the attic in which she is kept - this is a superior horror movie in every way.

Eyes Without a Face (or Les Yeux sans Visage, if you want to be a bit French) combines elements of the Gothic novel with a surrealist sensibility to create an absolutely unforgettable cinematic experience. Long after the cheap-shock tricks of many of today's horror franchises have been forgotten, the hauntingly beautiful scenes of Christiane's eyes gazing through her mask, and the inescapable and bloody surgical scene, will be remembered.

A classic in the genre.

When looking back over the years at the truly defining moments of the horror genre, one will generally encounter the usual titles; `Psycho', `Night of the Living Dead', `The Exorcist', `The Shining', `Halloween', etc. Each of these films has achieved enormous iconic status within popular culture as well as among horror fans, often the subject of parody and pastiche in comedy, TV and commercials. Even today, one is reminded of the terrifying `here's Johnny' moment from `The Shining' by Lenny Henry in the equally disturbing Premier Inn campaign. Yet many will be unaware of George Franju's 1959 cult classic `Eyes Without a Face', a film which has been criminally overlooked and forgotten since its release five decades ago. A film that is both mesmeric and disturbing in its tone and subject matter, it's hard to define why `Eyes Without a Face' has missed out on the notoriety and success of these other classic titles.

The film is centred on Dr Genessier, a crazed surgeon obsessed with trying to find a new face for his disfigured daughter Christiane, following a car crash for which he was responsible. His attempts to do so involve the kidnapping of young women and the subsequent removal of their face. Meanwhile, Christiane is forced to wear a white, featureless mask to cover her horrendous facial injuries, giving her a haunting, ghostly presence. This darkly sinister premise makes for deeply suspenseful viewing, creating enough tension to easily rival many of those famous horror classics. One of the most important factors in producing this atmosphere is Franju's technique of not revealing the face of Christiane straight away, and when the shocking moment comes, it is still partially blurred and distorted, leaving the viewer to imagine what her face looks like only through the terrified shrieks of the girl who sees her for the first time.

Franju's intelligent use of suspense and his skill in allowing the audience's imagination to provide the horror are expertly offset by the moment in which we witness the graphic removal of one of his victims' face; an unflinching scene which still has the power to disturb, despite the progression in visual effects and graphic imagery since its release. The cold, surgical manner by which he goes about this appalling procedure is equally as effective as any of the typically over-the-top, gruesome murder scenes from most slasher films. In fact, the clinical, emotionless way in which the Genessier conducts this act is probably what makes it all the more unsettling. It is possible that this scene was one of the reasons to the film's lack of exposure and success, being simply too explicit in its depiction of facial desecration and therefore turning audiences away rather than drawing them in.

Whatever the reason may be, `Eyes Without a Face' absolutely deserves to be considered alongside the true greats of the genre. It's utilisation of suspense, atmosphere and cold brutality make for a superb example of how horror movies should be made. Although it may be over fifty years old, `Eyes Without a Face' has certainly lost none of its power or ability to shock and terrify.

French black and white, gothic horror, similar to "Rebecca" in style, atmosphere and artistic direction.

The central themes rely on the battle between wanting to inhabit emotions and the impact of emotional erasure. This is played out in the battle between the scientist who wants to "save" his daughter by destroying other fathers daughters and the need to see people as more than just the ends. Within "science" a discipline that prides itself upon emotional erasure, the ends justifies his means. "Father" wants to control nature.

This is the dominant theme throughout the film. It was his will to power that destroyed his daughter as his eratic driving drove her to an initial destruction. Then he states he wants to rebuild her. Meanwhile he has his loyal servant, a procuress, who entices young women into his dungeon where he incises their faces and transplants them onto his daughter.

A procedure now finally perfected in the 21stC, this film explores the ethics of undertaking this, as the scientist is not the hero, but like Frankenstein he is the mad man; the serial killer aiming for the greater good based upon himself. Everyone is a pawn in his will to power, this raises a number of issues around sacrifice for the greater social interest. Realistically, only the dead can offer their skin, and as the film points out, they have to be freshly deceased, otherwise, necrotisis destroys the skin. In the film the women surrender their faces, whilst still alive, and this elicits the horror.

The camera work is also another star, along with the acting, the film underplays the horror, and the seeming fultiity of the venture. Freedom becomes the motto, freedom from control. Meanwhile in the 21st century face transplants are becoming a norm. This film shows where the corpses have laid.