The Fall of the House of Usher

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Matthew B Jean Epstein laid emphasis on aesthetics rather than straightforward story-telling. The great surrealist Luis Buñuel co-wrote the original script with Epstein. However Buñuel left the production over disagreements about how to interpret the material, and it is unclear how much, if any, of his work made it into the final film. It says something about the power of Epstein's imagination that the film survives two changes to the story that might have been expected to spoil the atmosphere of impending doom that Epstein has been careful to build up. Firstly Epstein makes Roderick and Madeline man and wife, removing the vaguely incestuous tinge that Poe gave to his original story. Secondly, Epstein changes the ending to make it less downbeat, something that seems out of step with the atmosphere of foreboding up to this point. I will note one more change. Like many later directors who adapted Poe works, Epstein uses elements from another short story by Poe, ‘The Oval Portrait'. However if Epstein makes serious alterations to the story, he does capture the essence of Poe's work. Like Poe, he is more concerned with presenting impressionistic imagery than with moving the story forward. The story is there, but it often seems less important than the visual world that Epstein has created. There is an almost surreal gloom hanging over it. Curtains billow. Leaves blow across the floor. Books tumble from shelves in a testament to the futility of education as a means to solve the family's problems. The walls have cracks along them, or is that just the interior décor? Chained posts along the bannister make the place look like a neglected museum. Most of all, the house has empty space. A vast entrance has no furniture, and leaves the characters looking isolated and spatially far apart from one another. Roderick views his wife through the strings of a harp that look like prison bars – she is trapped by his art, perhaps. An intertitle informs us that a nervous wife is dominating the house, but Madeline seems more like an insubstantial wraith compared to the two men. The small number of characters adds to the sense of claustrophobia. There are no other visitors except the family doctor. Epstein sometimes substitutes the real Madeline for the painting, and the audience can see Marguerite Gance blink while she is pretending to be portrait of herself. Is this carelessness on Epstein's part, or a deliberate decision? At one point, Epstein uses double exposure to split the image of Gance, as if her very identity is splitting before us. More creepy images follow. Tall candles are superimposed on images of the men carrying Madeline's coffin, and a white wreath drifts across the screen like a ghost. As Roderick listens for Madeline returning, the atmosphere becomes more intense. Clocks and swinging pendulums show the slow tread of time that is audible to the men. The room seems to come loose from its axis. The strings on a lute break by themselves. The flames from the hearth reach exaggerated heights. Items in the house begin to collapse. The figure of a woman in a white dress (a grotesque parody of a bride) approaches. Whatever compromises Jean Epstein may have made to the story, the lingering impression that it leaves is not one of selling out for commercial reasons. His film is pure art, a concentrated study in mood and atmosphere. I wrote a fuller appreciation of Epstein's and Roger Corman's version of the story on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2021/11/05/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-1928-and-1960/ Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/24/23 Full Review andrey k A very sombre and gloomy adaptation, very atmospheric, almost matching the mood that one might feel reading the literary source. The dialogue is not actually needed, as it is absent in the story. Its all about the atmosphere, gothic sombreness and doom. This film delivers this all beautifully. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A visual tour de force that literally transports you to this strange & bizarre effortlessly. The story of a stranger castle owner who's sick wife seems to get sicker & sicker as he paints a haunting portrait of her. Filled with mystery & unusual visuals this was considered one of a kind film in its day & really showcased the tremendous talent of director Jean Epstein. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member http://filmreviewsnsuch.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-fall-of-house-of-usher.html Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member It's one of the most lyrical films I've ever seen. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most imaginative and entrancing horror movies of the silent era. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Fall of the House of Usher

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