A writer is hired to compose fantastical background stories for a trio of wax figures in a carnival in Luna Park, in another early anthology from the Weimar Republic.
The first segment is the longest, weakest of the three. An odd mix of comedy, fantasy, and expressionism, it takes up the entire first half of the film. Its interesting visuals can only carry it so far. The set design looks good, but the costumes look silly and comical, and it goes on far too long.
Its second segment, Ivan the Terrible, is an improvement, but the third segment, Jack the Ripper, is the most interesting, and make this worth watching. Grotesque, nightmarish visuals, and double exposures make this feel like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, its similar title, and carnival setting add to it.
The first segment is the longest, weakest of the three. An odd mix of comedy, fantasy, and expressionism, it takes up the entire first half of the film. Its interesting visuals can only carry it so far. The set design looks good, but the costumes look silly and comical, and it goes on far too long.
Its second segment, Ivan the Terrible, is an improvement, but the third segment, Jack the Ripper, is the most interesting, and make this worth watching. Grotesque, nightmarish visuals, and double exposures make this feel like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, its similar title, and carnival setting add to it.