"Son cœur est un luth suspendu; Sitôt qu’on le touche il résonne."

October 14, 2014 1:40 PM

The Fall of the House of Usher (1928): [YouTube] a [silent] film version of Poe's story by Melville Webber and J. S. Watson Jr. [wiki]
posted by Fizz (6 comments total)

I see what you did there. Very clever.
posted by 1adam12 at 2:17 PM on October 14, 2014

No wonder it fell — it's as if the architect had never heard of ninety degree angles.
posted by roger ackroyd at 2:24 PM on October 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

I loved this. Then I used YouTube double to play side 2 of David Bowie's "Low" album over it and loved it just as much a second time.
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:32 PM on October 14, 2014

It occurs to me that maybe my post didn't clarify anything - today is Usher's birthday.
posted by 1adam12 at 7:56 PM on October 14, 2014

I like Epstein's version so much more: http://youtu.be/Liu38jOpNiA
posted by namagomi at 1:50 AM on October 15, 2014

This is one of the ones I included the Saturday I watched five adaptations of "The Fall of the House of Usher" in a row.

It was even more dreamlike than the other silent versions, and I love all the German Expressionist angles and lighting. he use of text is innovative, and I believe it's the last time until the Corman version in 1960 that we get a glimpse of a pre-cataleptic Madeline.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:20 AM on October 15, 2014 [1 favorite]