Schalcken the Painter (1979)

Better Late Then Never

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

The atmospheric work of Dutch portrait and genre painter Godfried Schalcken provided the inspiration for Sheridan Le Fanu's Gothic horror story "Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter" written in 1839.I must say that I rather enjoyed Leslie Mehagey's "Schalcken the Painter" which is based on Le Fanu story.The film plays like a documentary and it carefully recreates the interiors made famous by the Dutch painters.The action is slow-moving,but "Schalcken the Painter" has plenty of Gothic atmosphere.There is also plenty of female nudity including nice full-frontal at the end.The climax is wonderfully evocative and eerie.If you like "The Woman in Black" or similar subtle British chillers you can't go wrong with "Schalcken the Painter".7 skulls out of 10.

If Im correct this was a made for TV, a one off, and If it is the same one, I was fortunate to see it on CHANNEL 4, here in the U.K. about 15 years ago.It was one of the most terrifying things I've ever seen on TV, 'scary " these days in films means Gore Fest, and sickness....it is so boring and predictable to watch a "scary movie" nowadays.Schalken the Painter was very spooky, a psychological horror that crept and made you jump, it made me very uncomfortable i didn't want to leave the room alone.I am so annoyed that quality stuff like this is not released on to DVD for us to buy! so if anyone knows of a release please let us know all know. thankyou.

"Schalken the Painter", to my memory, was first shown in December 1979 during the BBC2 drama schedule. I believe it may have been shown a second time in 1980 and again in the late 80s (although I missed both the repeats). Aged just 13 at the time, I remember the play had long lasting effects and it wasn't until a few years later when I rediscovered many works in the UK by Schalcken, that I realised the brilliant work by the Le Fanu in reworking a dark and mysterious painting. This play recorded for TV is a masterful work and the transfer to DVD must surely come.Does anyone know the exact painting that influenced the play/film and where it is displayed? (I haven't tracked it down in the 26 years that has elapsed!).I remember the first broadcast coming at the end of BBC2's evening schedule of programmes and the announcer alerting the viewer of some scenes may cause some viewers a little distress (such was the politeness of the BBC announcer at the time!).Whilst we know of the supernatural and mainly inaccurate account as dramatised by Le Fanu, it is nonetheless made all the more pointing bearing in mind how little we actually know of the Dutch 17th Century Genre Painters of which our hero Schalcken was a leading Leiden fine-painter.Given the incredible attention to Vermeer in recent years and indeed the rise in popularity of 17th Century Dutch painters, it is appropriate for the BBC to go in search of this wonderful eerie drama first broadcast in 1979, show again (perhaps on BBC4 as this is their preferred artistic channel), and finally (PLEASE PLEASE) release on DVD.The acting is superlative, the dramatisation is spot-on, and Schalken (correct spelling is Schalcken, though not used in the play or film) is portrayed as our hero destined for total emotional collapse. The narrator in the end, gives the viewer a choice. He says that Schalken does not recover and is left mourning the loss of Rose - or does he? If you haven't discovered any of Schalcken's other works, the UK have a great many of them.

This was not one of the BBC's 'Ghost Stories for Christmas' (it was broadcast as part of the 'Omnibus' series), but it could easily have been one as it had the necessary eeriness and unforgettable imagery of those wonderful mid-70's adaptations.In fact this was an hour's worth of art history combined with J. Sheridan leFanu's short story 'A Strange Event in the Life of Schalcken the Painter'. It doesn't stick exactly to the story (not a criticism) but chooses to spend additional time on Schalcken's work as a painter. The background imagery is reminiscent of Vermeer's work and I'm sure I saw a Rembrandt double in there someone. In short, it is beautiful to look at and yet retains the necessary darkness of the original story.One of the things that struck me about this after all these years is quite how little dialogue there was, and yet this this seems to enhance the piece rather than detract from it. The cast are excellent, particularly Jeremy Clyde as the laconic and moody painter, and the beautiful Cheryl Kennedy (whatever happened to her?) as Rose Velderkaust. Who can forget that final scene in the crypt? I bet John Justin didn't.Criticisms? This may be a bit harsh on a wonderful piece of work that only the BBC seemed capable of producing, but I thought that Vanderhausen wasn't nearly as scary as in the story. In the book, we read of a white faced, black lipped, cadaverous figure whose stilted movements are reminiscent of a "spirit unused to the management of bodily machinery". By the lack of both blinking and evident chest movements indicating breathing, we know Vanderhausen is clearly an animated corpse. In the film, we get a dark-skinned staring madman whose mortality is never questioned, and this, while creepy, lessens the ending which should have been terrifying and ended up as merely disturbing (boy, am I difficult to please).All in all, fabulous. Please BBC, make this available on DVD. This is one of the best things you've ever done. Be proud of it.