Review of Eyes Without a Face (1960) by Dodd A — 17 Dec 2009

This exceptional surrealist horror is remeniscent of Tim Burton's early work. Even the music is notably Danny Elfman-esque. The most impressive attribute of Eyes Without a Face is that it exceeds the inherent power of its eerie concept with an especially well-written plot.

The motives of the melencholy Dr. Genessier are immediately suspicious, but his actions are carefully deposited into the story for a very soft reveal. Slowly paced and emotionally dry, its rigidity makes it an ideal example of quality screenwriting.

Otherwise, the film features some exquisite editing, potent cinematography, and some pretty shabby set design that is irrelevant enough to serve as opaque geography for the creepy characters to stalk through.