A century ago, moviegoers experienced horror in the dark. Furtive, crazed villains in ominous, dank rooms set audiences on edge. The architectural backdrops of these horror films were dismal and unbalanced. In flickering black and white, German silent movies of the early 1920s established the convention. The sets of The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari were strangely twisted. The hard angles, slashes of light and shadow, and unaccountably distorted walls and windows unsettled audiences as much as the insane Caligari himself. Nosferatu, a lurid vampire story set in Transylvania, horrified audiences two years later. It established Gothic architecture as the essential counterpart to the sinister and occult themes of early horror films. Untended, overgrown and gloomy old buildings soon became standard backdrops to the devilry unfolding This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Eight Buy Now Related Stories Films Issue 50 Sally Potter The film maestro on her musical debut. Films Issue 49 Ruben Östlund Crude, contrary—and killing it: Meet the auteur of awkwardness. Films Issue 49 Mamoudou Athie The shape-shifting actor is on a roll. Films Issue 49 Fares Fares After almost 25 years, the master actor steps behind the camera. Fashion Films Issue 44 Wardrobe Malfunction Why does the fashion in films so often disappoint? Films Issue 41 Mike Leigh The remarkable director discusses starting from nothing, over and over again.
Films Issue 41 Mike Leigh The remarkable director discusses starting from nothing, over and over again.
