Eureka Blu-ray Film Review

The Hands of Orlac (1924) • Blu-ray [Eureka! Masters of Cinema]

A world-famous pianist loses both hands in an accident. When new hands are grafted on, he doesn’t know they once belonged to a murderer.

The Hands of Orlac is another classic of German Expressionist cinema to be given the boutique Blu-ray treatment by Eureka Entertainment’s reliable ‘Masters of Cinema’ imprint. It joins their previous packages of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Waxworks (1924), and The Man Who Laughs (1928) — which also star the inimitable Conrad Veidt, possibly the finest of all silent era actors. If those titles grab your attention, then this will be a most welcome addition!

The Hands of Orlac is somewhat a misnomer as we never get to see his hands at all! Or, on the other hand, perhaps we do when the man finally takes ownership of them? The plot revolves around the titular Orlac, whose crushed hands are surgically replaced with those of another. He’s then plagued by the notion they somehow carry the personality and memories of the donor, fearing they will lead…