Orlacs Hände (1924)

What a nightmare: losing both hands as a concert pianist! In this classic silent film, Orlac (who has had an accident) receives new hands that came from a killer who was executed. From then on, these strange body parts take possession of him in a gruesome way. To add extra vigour to the plot twists, the French master pianist Alexandre Tharaud improvises a live musical score to the film that is shown on the big screen.

Orlacs Hände (from 1924) oscillates between psychological horror and crime drama. Director Robert Wiene, known for his groundbreaking Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, once again works with actor Conrad Veidt in this film. Pianist Alexandre Tharaud, artist in focus at the Muziekgebouw in season 23/24, already made a big impression in the 2018 Film and Live Music series when he accompanied F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise.

With German intertitles