Eyes Without a Face (1960)

 

    Hi everyone! Hope you're all feeling amazing and had a fantastic weekend. Lately, I've received nothing but great feedback from my readers and it truly warms my heart that you all enjoy my content. It never occurred to me to review horror films. To be frank, I believed I didn't possess the language to write them and the bulk of my adult life was submerged in writing/playing music so my mind was not in this realm just yet. Horror films were simply a hobby that I didn't expect to make anything more of. Life takes some crazy turns and the turn my life made is one I thoroughly embrace. Thank you so much to everyone that reads my reviews, reaches out, shares or likes my posts on Facebook, and supports me in any way. Onwards and forwards!

    This film is one I watched sometime during the peak of the pandemic when I had nothing but time on my side. It's unique in so many ways and, arguably, can be enjoyed by any horror enthusiast. My boyfriend watched it for the first time with me this weekend (while I knocked out on the couch half-way thanks to an arduous Friday...) and agreed it was a great watch. This is the first French horror film to be featured on my blog.

    Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux Sans Visage) was released on March 2nd, 1960 and was directed and co-written by Georges Franju. The film was based on a book by Jean Redon. The main writers behind the film were Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, popular French thiller writers that have also helped write Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. It was produced in a way to pass European censorship by minimizing the amount of gore shown, ending the "mad scientist" trope, and creating a different atmosphere. While it passed, it was still met with criticism. Some critics stated it was simply "sick" and "a repetition of German expressionism" while one was nearly fired for stating they liked it. Nevertheless, it left an influence one can't deny. Time Out placed the film at #34 on Top 100. I highly suggest you read about the impact of the film on your own time.The film stars Peirre Brasseur and Alida Valli. Eyes Without a Face runs for 90 minutes.

    Surgeon Dr. Genessier and his assistant Louise work together to kidnap young, beautiful women in an attempt to remove their faces and successfully transplant them on to the doctor's daughter, Christianne, after a horrible accident that left her face disfigured.

    Getting it out of the way: the acting was truly stupendous. Every single actor involved in the picture nailed it. It was one of the first things I noticed. It had a fantastic balance of visuals and dialogue, as well. Dialogue was used sparingly but strong, blunt, and poetic which I find to be a common theme in 60's films. Spacing out the dialogue aided in creating an atmosphere I cannot describe. Soundtrack was simple but it was exactly what it needed. Exceptionally creepy, appropriate, serene, and even romantic. The story is the strong point of the film. It was fluid and oddly something you would even hear about in the news today. There was no point in the story where I felt there was a gap, couldn't pick up, or needed depth. The film does not have jump scares, high tension, or over-the-top gore. I believe the film did incredibly well with the story on it's own. The ending was conclusive, poetic, freeing, and deserved. Quite a rarity to be happy with the ending of a horror film but it was truly wrapped up beautifully!

    The more I go on the more I spoil it, hence, a shorter review but if you watch it you'll know what I mean. It's a film that doesn't leave you guessing but has you hooked and intrigued. Entertaining the whole way because the plot was simply that good. It's rare to see films heavily relying on their plot nowadays but it's clear Franju was confident with this one. The 60's French imagery is to die for. I highly suggest Eyes Without a Face for everyone to watch at least once.

My overall rating is 10/10 based on:

-Original story

-Fluidity of plot

-Acting

-Dialogue

-Ending

-Soundtrack

-Appropriate gore (oxymoron, yes)

-Stunning visuals

    My first 10/10 on this blog! Hooray! It was well-deserved, in my opinion. Please let me know what your thoughts are if you get around to watching this. As of now, I do not have a film selected for next week's review but I have a couple contenders. Decisions, decisions...

Stay safe and make wise decisions!

-CL