I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I much prefer watching the Peter Lorre remake, MAD LOVE ('35) which tells the same tale of the pianist who has his hands replaced by those of a murderer after an accident severs them. At least that version had some pace, some sense of cinematic flow and was not subjected to the wild silent screen acting that all but consumes THE HANDS OF ORLAC.Even a great actor like CONRAD VEIDT cannot save this one from looking absurd much of the time. The players all suffer from silent screen direction which means they hold their frantic poses for long stretches of time while the camera focuses only on them.Even the train wreck scene suffers from lengthy excesses before the camera even gets to the victim. You almost feel like saying, "C'mon, let's get to the point," before the scene is over.Frankly, I found it an insufferable silent film, a poorly paced example of German expressionism in a film full of shadows and static camera shots.

Previous writers have covered the plot of this film pretty comprehensively. My copy is poor, visually, but has a score made up of preludes and fugues, trio sonatas and chorale preludes by J.S Bach played on the organ and including, in the confrontation between Orlac and "Vasser", the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV565).This has no connection with the plot of the film, but makes for a decent recital in its own right. This copy, from English Language Video, is made up of the best bits of three prints from various sources with renewed intertitles. This means that the tale seems to lack logic and continuity, however, enough remains to hold the interest and to point up the films origins in the expressionist school. Veidt's portrayal of Orlac's descent into near insanity occasionally draws on Cesare,the somnambulist of "Dr. Caligari" but the story does not have the depth or psychology of the wider impressionist canon. In all, a curiosity but little else, even for fans of Conrad Veidt.

Ah, what aristocratic days are these!!... These modern times of the new 21st century have many similarities to the old youthful times that Herr Graf spent in Deutschland at the beginning of the ancient 20th century; that is to say, during those days the world had a tremendous financial crisis not to mention the menace of a world flu pandemic. It seemed appropriate then that Herr Von decided to revisit those memories by watching at the Schloss theatre a strange, oppressive film, a picture that reflected those times and the aristocratic mood. A perfect soirée, indeed!... The film was "Orlacs Hände" (1924) by Herr Robert Wiene.It was a pleasure ( you have to know that German aristocrats have fun in a different and dark way .. ) to watch again such a classic Expressionist masterpiece. Thanks are owed to the longhaired youngsters at Kino who did an excellent restoration of this old nitrate which includes a bearable music score by Herr Paul Mercer that helps one to suppress the memory of the terrible score that was included some time ago in another release of the film; that music was scarier than the film itself. Even today, to watch "Orlacs Hände" is a disturbing experience aside from appreciating its Expressionist values. Early in the film, the train crash sequence is full of dark and impressive shots that capture the confusion, warning the audience that this is a special oeuvre. It bespeaks a terrible chaos, uncertainty and darkness that engulfs the viewer in an oppressive, tormented atmosphere.Due to the train crash, Herr Orlac ( Herr Conrad Veidt ) our hero will suffer horrible wounds to body and soul. The physical scars heal up but the psychological wounds are more difficult to overcome, especially when Herr Orlac discovers that his new hands belonged to an assassin. This marks the beginning of a terrible "tour de force" between body and soul that will torment Herr Orlac throughout the film. His fragility is challenged by pain and suffering and though solace and calm ultimately prevail he must first face constant uncertainty, delirium and the threat of insanity.The Expressionist shadows, appropriately enough, surround the main characters ( The performances by the great Herr Veidt and Dame Alexandra Sorina are also in the Expressionist manner ) and their habitats; their home, at the hospital, and in the streets. An oppressive, morbid, gloomy atmosphere prevails and suits perfectly a story of wicked impulses and disturbed minds.Hands demanding crimes, the weakness of the human will, blackmail from an unscrupulous criminal, a medical experiment, a father who hates his son… such are the subjects in "Orlacs Hände", an unnerving masterpiece and the perfect aristocratic silent film choice for a cloudy soirée in these 21st uncertain times.And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must lend a hand in this time of crisis by drinking only a glass of Rhine white wine instead of the whole bottle.Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

I saw Orlacs Hände at the Ghent filmfestival this year with a live score. I must say I thought it was very good, although I didn't agree with the new score all the time... The story is both simple and ridiculous (like any good scare movie): A world renown pianist loses his hands in a trainaccident and gets a transplant from a convicted criminal. The hands of course take over or do they. This film does not excell in great acting or storytelling but more in the subtle building of an atmosphere that becomes so haunting that it nearly becomes unbearable. If you like horror movies from the silent age, without blood or gore but with loads of atmosphere, then this is an absolute must-see.