Tishani De Silva

Genre Research: Horror

The film genre; horror was inspired mainly by literature also of the same genre (e.g: Bram
Stokers Dracula and Shelleys Frankenstein), one of the first films to feature supernatural
events (an element widely associated with the horror genre) include Le Manoir du Diable
this was a silent film directed by George Mlis, whilst this film does feature supernatural
events it was filmed in a theatrical/comical style hence not adhering to the typical codes and
conventions found in modern day horror films. Despite its blatant difference in generic
conventions Le Manoir du Diable is still considered to be the worlds first horror film due to its
sequence including a transformation involving a bat and it including the first supernatural
beings on film. Mlis also went on to direct a number of other horror films including La
Caverne maudite, also following the huge literary success of horror novels film adaptations
of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde also took place, as the novels were also of the
horror genre it opened up the genre to film and these films resemble the genre much more
compared to Mlis early work.
The expressionist movement after WWI led to more films which also resembled those found
in the horror genre, it was also during this period that the first vampire-based film was
released (Nosferatu F.W Mernau). It was only after Universal Pictures began adapting
horror novels that the term horror was applied more commonly to films. Novels that were
being adapted included Dracula and Frankenstein, however like Mlis Le Manour du
Diable these early horror films were not considered to be truly of the genre, yet resembling a
more melodramatic tone in its final execution.