6/10
Silent German horror
7 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I'm surprised that I'd never heard of THE EYES OF THE MUMMY before I sat down to watch it as it turns out to be a superior and decent little chiller. It must be one of the earliest 'mummy' films out there even though the villain of the piece isn't a bandage-wrapped fiend but rather a sinister Arab character whose love for the film's heroine sees him pursuing her across continents.

For a film made in 1918, THE EYES OF THE MUMMY feels surprisingly fresh and relevant. The lack of any real budget is quite obvious in the depictions of Egypt and the like, but the story packs plenty of incident into the running time and the characters are well drawn. Pola Negri is a good choice for female protagonist and convinces in her sympathetic part. Emil Jannings goes down the all-out pantomime route as the villain of the piece and is such a delight to watch. The climax goes down a surprisingly tragic route that more modern horror films would undoubtedly baulk at.
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