The third feature on Criterions Tod Browning sideshow triptic, I feel a bit unfortunate towards the mystic, im assuming its a fault on my part. But I just couldnt quite get my head around some of the plot of this film.
The basic premise is that a family group of ‘Travellers’ in Hungary, regularly perform a stage show, the central act of which involves the families only Daughter taking on the stage persona of ‘The Mystic Zara’. pulling off seemingly inexplainable acts of fortune telling and seances. The troup notice however that a man in a suit has been on the fringes of recent performances watching very closely. And after one appearence too many. The troup plan to jump the guy to find out why he’s stalking them.
It turns out that he’s Michael Nash, a VERY wealthy businessman whos taken strong interest in Zaras abilities and wants to showcase them to the aristocricy of New York…The troup readily agree, but the problem is…Zaras a fake, in fact the entire act is an elaborate staging of fake panels, peppers ghosts and wire work. But the gang make it work in a New York ballroom and quickly become the talk of the town.
Little do the gang realise, the Michael is in fact the carer to a young orphaned heiress Doris Merrik, and he plans to use the seances as a means of terrifying Doris into handing her fortune over to Michael…aannd thats kind of where I got a bit lost here honestly, a chap named Jimmie turns up at some point and I think he tries to convince Zara that the pair of them should try and convince Doris to hand her wealth over to them…But I think I must have missed some key plot points because the final act moves SO fast that i pretty much ended up confused right up till the final 10 minutes when it all slotted back into place and a resolution came about which was blunt, and kind of limp.
Its a shame really, because I really liked the opening act of this film, but something goes amiss partway into the second act and I just couldnt find my thread on it right up until the end.
What I can say is that while the pacing and plotting goes a bit arwy in the middle, the opening and closing acts are fairly solid, even if the ending is a bit underwhelming. The cast, given their obscurity are fantatic physical performers.
I really appreciated that this film was partially audioscaped, giving us almost no dialogue (barring a singing sequence) but giving us all the atmospheric tracks and any diagetic noises within the scene. Which I think was a very nice touch. and visually, I think I preferred this over the other Browning feature on this set ‘The Unknown’. its crisp, the visual effects and lighting are genuinely eerie in places and etherial. the thing feels wonderfully spooky in places and the direction is more than up to Brownings usual efforts.
I think the fact this film lay forgotten for so many years is quite bizarre given how technically interesting it is at times. While the plot is a bit of a muddle, the performances are largely very good and the whole film gets a BIG boost with its newly written score composed in 2023 by Dean Hurley.
One i’ll probably have to rewatch to firm up my feelings on it, Now I know the tone its going for, I think i’ll be able to give it the best chance on a rewatch. But as far as ‘Silent Era’ cinema goes? I thought this was pretty decent.
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