This review focuses on the acting, the plot, and the performance of Bela Lugosi. The movie has an eerie, ghost-like ambience. However, it’s not available in all regions. You can watch it on Netflix in some countries. Read on to discover which country offers this classic horror movie.
Bela Lugosi’s performance
The performance in White Zombie is unmistakable. Bela Lugosi’s eyes linger over the screen, haunting the viewer with intense focus. They occupy the center of her face and are attached to the rest of her body, as if looking straight into the audience.
Bela Lugosi’s performance as a sexy, commanding vampire is mesmerizing. The actor uses his voice to great advantage, bringing the villain’s menacing rage to life in the final scenes. It’s a powerful performance that leaves the audience wanting more.
While White Zombie lacks a strong literary base, its screenplay drew inspiration from a number of sources. It was based on a Faust story, and Bela Lugosi’s appearance as Murder Legendre, the villain of the film, is Mephistophelian in nature. The Mephistophelian character lures Beaumont to sell his soul by promising him a new life with his wife Madeline. In response to this, Beaumont complains to Legendre, who has already taken action to get Madeline’s scarf.
Despite the lackluster reception the film received upon release, Bela Lugosi’s performance is outstanding. Though the film was made on a shoestring budget, Lugosi’s sexy performance carries it far beyond its budget.
Bela Lugosi’s performance of Dracula in 1931 made him the most famous boogeyman since Lon Chaney. It helped Universal Pictures become one of the most prolific horror film producers. Boris Karloff also starred in Frankenstein’s Monster.
The film has received mixed reviews back in 1932. However, it’s worth seeing for the performance of Bela Lugosi as the ruthless murderer Murder Legendre. The film’s style is haunting and the ambiance is perpetually creepy. Its setting in the Haitian jungle lends a spooky and dark atmosphere.
Although the film is a classic, it’s not a perfect movie. The audio is a bit dated. There are occasional hiss and cracks throughout, but it’s still acceptable for an early 1930s horror movie. The bonus features of this DVD include an alternate version of the film that’s slightly shorter than the digitized version. The alternate version is also accompanied by a seven-minute commentary by historian Frank Thompson. There is also a 16-image gallery.
The film’s historical significance and setting make it worth watching. Its cinematic merits include its atmospheric sets, solid camera work, and bold performance by Bela Lugosi.
The ethereal, ghostlike ambience
White Zombie is a strange movie that encapsulates the atmosphere of silent cinema. Its ghostlike ambience makes it easier to accept the ludicrous twists that occur in its story. Its tiny budget is used well by producers, who make the most of the star, Bela Lugosi.
The music is especially memorable, with a rich selection of ambient sounds accompanying the movie’s characters. There are haunting chants that accompany the characters as they journey through Haiti, and a haunting dirge that accompanies the villain’s calculated machinations. In addition to a spooky ambiance, the music also serves as an aural backdrop to the film, elevating it above most of its contemporaries.
White Zombie is a classic horror movie, directed by Victor Halperin and starring Bela Lugosi and Garnet Weston. The story revolves around the concept that a zombie cannot die, but only becomes more powerful. While the story is not as exciting as other zombie movies, the film’s haunting atmosphere will make any horror fan feel enthralled.
While White Zombie has the status of being the first zombie movie, it has very few links to the zombie subgenre as we know it today. The word “zombie” originated from a 1929 book and play by William Seabrook, which Halperin adapted into a play. While Halperin changed the title, early scenes are directly inspired from Seabrook’s book.
The ethereal, ghostlike ambience in the White Zombie movie is reminiscent of the atmosphere in the Dracula movies. Bela Lugosi was the star of the first horror film, and this reincarnation of the legendary Count Dracula piques viewers’ interest in the genre. Lugosi was paid a mere $500 for the role.
The cinematography of the film is impressive. It clearly shows the influence of the German expressionist movement of the 1920s. The film also features a score by Xavier Cugat. But the film’s filmmaking is a little uneven. A few scenes are clunky and weird, and the pace is slow.
While White Zombie is a relatively minor horror movie, it’s important to recognize that it paved the way for more spooky movies to come. Its filmmaker, Arthur Martinelli, took closeups of Bela Lugosi’s eyes with blended lenses to make them appear hovering over scenes. The film is visually stunning, and shows that horror can be a visual art.
The plot
White Zombie is a 1932 American pre-Code horror film about a young woman who transforms into a zombie. The screenplay was written by Garnett Weston and adapted from a novel by William Seabrook. It was a hit on the big screen when it was released.
The plot of White Zombie echoes themes of colonialism and the fear of natives. The movie portrays the plight of a nation recovering from colonialism, and shows the degeneration of White man by native knowledge. As the film progresses, a scene from Legrandre’s sugar mill embodies this concept well. As zombies stumbling into vats of sugar cane juice, they are reduced to mindless zombies.
The plot of White Zombie is quite complex. Its opening scenes illustrate the conflict between white rationality and native superstition. The film opens with a long shot of a funeral party attended by Negros. In the background, a single drumbeat accompanies each letter of the word “zombie.” Then, a close-up of Legendre’s threatening eyes frightens the crowd.
Although Madeleine and Neil are not native to the country, the film does try to disguise their roots. As the story develops, Madeleine is a bride-to-be, and she is determined to marry Neil. The couple, however, do not know each other well, and they end up in Haiti, where Madeleine meets her fiance, Neil. While there, the pair meet the devious Legendre, who turns people into zombies. As a result, Madeleine and Neil begin to feel uneasy about the whole situation.
The plot of White Zombie is a bit different from the earlier zombie movies. In the previous movies, Romero blurred the lines between humans and zombies, showing off the ability of zombies to mimic humans. Romero also shows the delusion that people can control zombies, despite the fact that the zombies are essentially mindless servants.
The acting
The acting in White Zombie is a mixed bag. The dialogue is uninspiring, the acting is slow, and the movie has a weirdly inconsistent aesthetic. White Zombie’s actors look like they are acting in a silent-era film and the dialogue is awkward.
The film is very effective, though the acting is inconsistent. For instance, the scenes with little dialog aren’t as effective as those with more dialogue. The film was made in the early days of sound, so most sound directors would fill the scene with dialog. In contrast, director Victor Halperin prefers to let the atmosphere carry the scene. For example, there is almost no dialogue in the scene in which Legendre carves Madeleine’s image in wax. Similarly, there’s almost no dialogue in the scene where zombies run a sugar mill.
Bela Lugosi is an exceptional actor and one of the most memorable. His hypnotic stare can hypnotize a crowd. The movie also introduced new filmmaking techniques, such as following actors in one take and returning to the same spot to film the same scene. Moreover, the lack of music helps create a creepy atmosphere.
Bela Lugosi played the part of a Svengali-like voodoo master in White Zombie. After Universal’s Dracula (1931), Lugosi became a worldwide star. The character of Zombie was the perfect vehicle for him. The director Victor Halperin made him seem like a character, which is very different from the self-parodying character he would go on to play in later years.
Although White Zombie was almost lost, the original film was found in the 1960s. The film’s success led to a contract with Paramount, but his subsequent films never achieved the success of the original. The film’s sequel was a dismal failure. However, the original film remained a classic that continues to inspire new generations of horror film fans.
White Zombie is often considered the first zombie movie. It follows a young couple on a trip to Haiti, where they meet a local Voodoo master, Bela Lugosi. This wealthy man insists on having the wedding at his home, despite the fact that Madeline has turned into a zombie.
