''A Spectre Haunts Europe'' (russian: Призрак бродит по Европе, Prizrak brodit po Evrope) is a 1923 Soviet silent

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

directed by

Vladimir Gardin Vladimir Rostislavovich Gardin (russian: Влади́мир Ростисла́вович Га́рдин) (born Vladimir Rostislavovich Blagonravov (Благонра́вов); – 28 May 1965) was a pioneering Russian film director and actor who ...

and written by Georgi Tasin. It was made by the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

's production company VUFKU. It is based on

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

's 1842 short story ''

The Masque of the Red Death "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague ...

''. The film features a massacre on the Odessa Steps which may have served as an inspiration for the more famous scene in

Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ɪjzʲɪnˈʂtʲejn, 2=Sergey Mikhaylovich Eyzenshteyn; 11 February 1948) was a Soviet film director, screenw ...

's ''

Battleship Potemkin '' Battleship Potemkin'' (russian: Бронено́сец «Потёмкин», ''Bronenosets Potyomkin''), sometimes rendered as ''Battleship Potyomkin'', is a 1925 Soviet silent drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by S ...

''. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

. Cameraman Boris Zavalev filmed the movie on location in Crimea. Many reference sources list the film as 1921, but it was actually only released in 1922. This is one of the few silent horror films ever made in Russia, the other notable titles being ''The Queen of Spades'' (1910 and 1916) and ''The Vij'' (1908 and 1916).Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 257..

Plot

The conceited leader of an unnamed European nation comes across a young shepherdess while walking outdoors. He falls in love with her, but Fate has preordained that he must suffer because of the way he has enslaved and mistreated his people. The girl's father turns out to be the leader of a band of revolutionaries who are seeking to overthrow the despot. The plot does not closely follow the Edgar Allan Poe short story at all.

Cast

* Zoya Barantsevich *

Oleg Frelikh Oleg Nikolayevich Frelikh (russian: Олег Николаевич Фре́лих; 24 March 1887 – 6 September 1953) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and director. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1947). Biography Oleg Frelikh was born ...

* Evgeniy Gryaznov * Lidiya Iskritskaya-Gardina * Ivan Kapralov *

Vasili Kovrigin Vasili, Vasily, Vasilii or Vasiliy (Russian: Василий) is a Russian masculine given name of Greek origin and corresponds to ''Basil''. It may refer to: *Vasili I of Moscow Grand Prince from 1389–1425 *Vasili II of Moscow Grand Prince fro ...

* Iona Talanov * Karl Tomski * Vladimir Yegorov

References

Bibliography

* Taylor, Richard. ''Battleship Potemkin: The Film Companion''. I.B.Tauris, 2001.

External links

* 1923 films Soviet silent feature films 1920s Russian-language films Films based on works by Edgar Allan Poe Films directed by Vladimir Gardin Soviet black-and-white films Soviet horror films 1923 horror films Silent horror films 1920s rediscovered films Rediscovered Soviet films 1920s Soviet films {{1920s-horror-film-stub