British silent horror


British silent horror films are horror films made in Britain without sound. British horror drew its influences from gothic literature from the nineteenth century. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus had a major influence on the horror genre of Britain going into the twentieth century. The gothic horror novel Dracula written by Bram Stoker is still an influential piece of literature.

Examples of British silent horror films

Gothic horror was an extremely popular topic while cinema was becoming a common form of entertainment. Dr. Trimball’s Verdict directed by Frank Wilson is a short silent film. It tells the story of a soul possessing a skeleton in order to seek revenge on a former friend who betrayed him years earlier. Shortly after Dr. Trimball’s Verdict Cecil Hepworth directed the film The Basilisk. This film tells the story of a spirit with magical powers that uses mind control to force a woman to kill her fiancé. The spirit and soul are recurring topics in silent British horror films. Will Barker directed the film The Beetle that was based on Richard Marsh’s novel Beetle. The film tells the story of an Egyptian princess whose soul is transformed into a monster and was able to possess the commoners. The after life was a popular topic showing up in the media of this time. A fascination with mummies and ancient Egyptians arose from the nineteenth century when it was a common practice to unwrap a mummy for audiences.
In 1913 American director George Loane Tucker traveled to Britain to produce the film Man Without a Soul. The film's inspiration came from the Frankenstein novel. The protagonist is trying to create life by reanimating a boy who would not have a soul. World War One had a major impact on films of this time. People were struggling with religion at this time because of the destruction of war. Naturally the films of this time reflected these struggles of the citizens of Britain. Ghost stories are the backbone for silent British horror films. Christianity was the common religion at the time. Life after death is a central value of the religion. Filmmakers were able to use the uncertainty of the after life in the horror genera. British silent horror films focus on the same three things: death, the soul and life after death.