Review of Eyes Without a Face (1960) by Craig T — 06 Mar 2011

A French horror classic was born in 1960. Georges Franju successfully created a film that torments and amazes viewers to this day. This story is one of love and the lengths one doctor will go to when his daughter is concerned. She was disfigured in an auto accident and now only her father feels he can return her to beauty, and to life. Unfortunately, the only way he can save her from ruin is to replace her face...

Calm and pacing performances by the cast really cement what Franju is attempting to do here. This is not grand scale or a guts and blood galore flick, it is a delicate horror film that is beautifully shot. The patience is key as the story and director guide us along using a doctor and his madness as precisely as the surgical tools used on the operating table. What we see is frightening and feels real. The young lady is forced to wear a mask that would welcome only Michael Myers and though she is a calm soul, her very presence is eerie.

The film is rare in so many respects. The fear I felt was subtle and acute. I truly love the surgical scene. You'll know the one I mean as soon as you see it. For its time, it is wonderfully accurate and for today, it can be appreciated for not using CGI. Its greatest credit may be the forward progress that it makes. Once in a while, a film comes along and though it may not be one of the greatest of all time, it does something unique: it only gets better and better as the story goes on. (A+).