WHITE ZOMBIE
d. Victor Halperin, 1932

26 February 2006

I was sure I had seen WHITE ZOMBIE before, but when my friends V.B. and S.M. picked it out of the vast Old Dark Arthouse archives for viewing the other night, I quickly realized I hadn't.

WHITE ZOMBIE delivers more moments of pulp beauty than just about any horror film of the 30s I can recall. Images are reminiscent of 19th century illustrations, or anticipate (most likely because they influenced) panels from E.C. horror comics.

Visually, the film hovers between the silent and sound eras, with long stretches of dialogue-free atmosphere.

Not only are the images rich and resonant, but this is one of Bela Lugosi's finest moments. His character is truly menacing, and his influence over others has an unrelenting malevolence. The zombies themselves are not villains but victims, however they are a ghoulish presence throughout the film.