Welcome to our annual Birthday Bash! Every November we celebrate DHR’s founding in November 2020 with a new theme. This year, we’re tackling Horror History. Historical Horror, history of horror, classic horror texts and more. Want to get involved? Just head over to our Substack and check out our call for submissions post!
The Backbone of Cinema: How The Horror Genre Helped Spark Cinema
Everyone knows Georges Méliès, right? We’ve all seen that iconic black and white image of the face in the moon, or heard his name noted as one of the fathers of early cinema. However, Méliès is also known for another thing: being the first genre auteur.
In 1896, Méliès released the film Le manoir du diable, or The House of the Devil. It’s a three-minute short film which follows Mephistopheles, on orders from his master the Devil, playing tricks on two cavaliers. The film is made using slight of hand and camera trickery, and invokes many fantastical elements, but also, notably, this film is thought to be the first horror film ever. Not just that, the Devil initially appears as a bat, making this the first vampire film ever. Later, Méliès remade this film, releasing it in 1897 as a 45 second short film named The Haunted Castle. But Le Manoir du diable’s story doesn’t end there, as this film nearly became lost media. It was considered lost for decades, before reappearing in the New Zealand Film Archive and being restored.
The horror genre is now such a staple of contemporary media; however, it was Méliès’ work that helped launch this genre into film. Méliès made multiple horror films after Le Manoir du diable, including titles such as The Infernal Cauldron and A Terrible Night. Some of these films are still available to view today on platforms such as YouTube. Eventually, the fantastical elements of Méliès’ work would be enshrined into the visual genre through movements such as German Expressionism, resulting in films such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920). Without Georges Méliès, horror cinema as we know it would not exist.
Georges Méliès, 1930s. Image from Wikipedia
Listicle: Where To Watch Some Fantastic Early Horror (1895-1925)
So, you want to improve your film history knowledge, eh? Luckily, many early films have been preserved and restored, and are now available to watch!
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari by Robert Wiene, 1920
A beautiful representation of German Expressionism, this film follows a man who is hypnotised to commit murders. It’s absolutely beautiful, using striking iconography (a hallmark of German Expressionism) to replicate the character’s innermost emotions.
2. Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror by F. W. Murnau, 1922
Robert Eggers may have made Nosferatu cool with his 2024 remake, but this story has been around since 1922. Based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the subject of legal debate with Bram Stoker’s estate, this version features Count Orlok as a distinctly looking rat man.
3. La maison ensorcelée (The Bewitched House) by Segundo de Chomón, 1908
This scary short by Segundo de Chomón is probably the first haunted house film that was ever made. The imagery is genuinely unsettling, and is likely to scare people now!
4. Haxan by Benjamin Christensen, 1922
Haxan is a beautifully dreamlike film that explores witchcraft. Almost documentary-like in parts, this Scandinavian production can be seen as a precursor to films such as Eggers’ The Witch.
Max Schreck as Count Orlok in Nosferatu
Listicle: Where to Start With Georges Méliès
One of the fathers of cinema, Georges Méliès is revered for a reason. Making over 500 films in his lifetime, only 200 are thought to have survived in some form. But with such a large filmography, how do you know where to start? I’ve compiled four of his best shorts here as a starting point for you.
1. Le Manoir du Diable (The House of the Devil) by Georges Méliès, 1896
Possibly the first horror film to every exist, this is a staple of film studies courses. This film interweaves religious iconography and horror staples, and really put the genre into cinema.
2. Le chaudron infernal (The Infernal Cauldron) by Georges Méliès, 1903
This film is only a couple of minutes long, but is genuinely chilling. In full colour, this film follows humans victims being sacrificed by the devil, but can they get their revenge?
3. Une nuit terrible (A Terrible Night), 1896
This minute long short, described by Méliès as a scene comique, features the director himself as lead actor, experiencing the worst night imaginable.
4. Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip To The Moon), 1902
Lastly, how could you talk about Georges Méliès without talking about his most famous work? This iconic short film is thought to be one of the best representations of early cinema, and the way it is filmed is masterful. It’s become such a big part of cultural history for a reason!
Le Voyage Dans La Lune
