CLASSIC MOVIE CORNER: 'Eyes Without a Face' (1960)

Edith Scob in 'Eyes
Without a Face'“Eyes Without a Face” (1960)

MPAA Rating: Not rated
Directed by: Georges Franju
Starring: Pierre Brasseur, Alida Valli, Juliette Mayniel, Edith Scob, Alexandre Rignault

The Gist: When a mad plastic surgeon’s on the loose, it’s tough to save face.

The Story: Dr. Genessier (Brassuer) is a respected physician and pioneer in the field of plastic surgery. His only daughter Christiane (Scob) is horribly disfigured in a car accident. Unable to handle her monstrous appearance, Christiane commits suicide ... or does she? It turns out Dr. Genessier has faked her death to hide her away from the world’s prying eyes. He toils tirelessly to restore her former beauty through the heterograft technique, a secret medical breakthrough. What’s the secret? If you must know, it involves kidnapping unwitting beauties and harvesting their faces. Meanwhile, Inspector Parot (Rignault) inches closer to discovering the ugly truth.

The Review: “Eyes Without A Face” is reminiscent of “Frankenstein,” another tale of science gone mad. What makes this French horror film unique is the way beauty and the macabre coexist on the screen. Christiane hides her disfigured visage behind a white mask. The mask has a sterile beauty, like the face of a porcelain china doll. Renowned composer Maurice Jarre contributed a score that consists mainly of poignant and off-kilter waltzes. Dr. Genessier is a monstrous villain, but not a mustache-twirling scoundrel who delights in evil for its own sake. Instead, he’s quiet and introspective. By his own twisted reckoning, he believes his murders and mutilations are justified. If you’re seeking a movie to chill you to the marrow, look into “Eyes Without a Face.”

The Classic Quote: Christiane: “What have you done now?” Dr. Genessier: “What had to be done. For your own good. Always for your good, Christiane.”

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)