One of the most influential films ever made, Eyes Without a Face, directed by Georges Franju, explores themes of guilt, redemption, and obsession to create a horror masterpiece that inspired filmmakers ranging from Pedro Almodovar (The Skin I Live In (2011)) and John Woo (Face/Off (1997)) to John Carpenter (the inspiration for Michael Myers’ featureless mask in Halloween (1978)).
The film can be broken into three parts. The first part depicts a situation wherein Dr. Génessier (Pierre Brasseur), a well-known plastic surgeon, is determined to fix his daughter Christiane’s (Edith Scob) disfigured face, which has been damaged as a result of a car accident that he caused. The second part focuses on the process, which starts with Génessier’s secretary, Louise (Alida Valli), abducting and bringing young women to him so he can perform heterografting surgery—a procedure that involves transferring living tissue from the victim’s face to his daughter’s. Part three focuses on the ramifications of Génessier’s actions; despite his repeated surgical failures, he keeps trying and, ultimately, pushes himself too far, with disastrous results.
What makes the film so compelling is the fact that Génessier’s heinous actions are not motivated by hatred or vengeance but by love for his daughter. Sure, he feels remorse for killing innocent women, but it is outweighed by guilt over his responsibility for his daughter’s condition and his deep affection for her. As a result, his obsession with regenerating her daughter’s face and bringing a smile back to her face drives him to go to extremes and transforms him into a mad scientist.
Eyes Without a Face continues to evoke a sense of dread in viewers sixty-four years after its release, mainly due to its nonchalant presentation of disturbingly graphic visuals. Consider the scene in which the Doctor operates on a young woman on the table. Georges Franju shows the entire surgery process in great detail; the scene is shot in a peaceful, noise-free environment without any sound effects or background score, giving the impression that the patient is having a routine surgery—when, in fact, the mad doctor is extracting her face. Even though he continues to carve the woman’s face, we are still drawn to it because of the meticulousness and skill with which he operates on the girl—a strange and unsettling combination that makes you wonder about your own sanity. Furthermore, the makers don’t make it easy on us; despite his sadistic deeds, they make us empathize with Génessier because there is a certain tenderness in him (particularly the way he treats his daughter) that renders him endearing. The film’s atmospheric qualities are also noteworthy; the fog-induced cemetery that surrounds the mansion adds to the eerie vibe, and the horrific events taking place within—including the murder and operation of women, the constant barking of the many dogs kept as experimental subjects, etc.—create a creepy and unsettling atmosphere.
The film also gives Louise, the mad doctor’s secretary, depth and helps us understand her motivations for aiding and supporting his obsessive and criminal behavior. While she harbors remorse for her role in his illegal activities, she also feels an immense debt of gratitude to him for saving her life through his miraculous reconstructive surgery on her deformed face. As a result, she is so grateful to him that she is willing to turn a blind eye to his atrocities and follow his orders. Then there’s also Christiane, whose disfigured face becomes the film’s central core due to its profound impact on her, turning her into a hopeless person who has lost her sense of self and feels alienated from society. Notice the scene in which she walks around the house with a featureless mask on, as if she were an angelic ghost strolling the lonely hallways, and the somber, melancholy tune perfectly captures her emotional state of despair. Also, Franju’s decision to reveal Christiane’s face at a crucial moment adds shock value; the suspense builds gradually, and when seen from the perspective of an unfamiliar woman (shortly after she awakens while lying on the operating table), it intensifies the audience’s unease as they realize that that’s the face she will have after the doctor operates on her.
The final act is perfectly structured, with each piece fitting precisely to demonstrate a pitch-perfect conclusion that some might call poetic and reasonable. This film’s timeless appeal stems not just from its plot but also from its shocking and realistic brutality, the paradoxical qualities of its characters, and its dreary atmospheric tone that draws in the viewers, unsettles them, and ultimately leaves them terrified.
Eyes Without a Face movie links: Letterboxd, IMDB
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