SCHALCKEN THE PAINTER (1979) – The British Film Institute has released a terrific video edition of this 69-minute Gothic Horror telefilm which originally aired on December 23rd, 1979 as part of the Omnibus program.
Leslie Megahey directed this adaptation of the Sheridan Le Fanu story. Schalcken the Painter is a genuine masterpiece of visual storytelling. Nearly every scene is lit and filmed like a 1600s painting by artists like Godfried Schalcken, Rembrandt, Vermeer and others.
I always compare the cinematography in this production to one of my favorite Stanley Kubrick films – Barry Lyndon. If you enjoyed the candlelit atmosphere of that movie then Schalcken the Painter will blow you away.
This film redefines slow burn horror, so it’s certainly not for all tastes. Art House Horror would describe it nicely. The emphasis is on mood and feelings of dread rather than graphic horror.
Jeremy Clyde of Chad & Jeremy fame stars as the Dutch artist Schalcken with Maurice Denham as his already famous teacher Garrett Dou and Cheryl Kennedy as Rose, Dou’s niece and Schalcken’s desire.
Rose reciprocates Godfried’s affections, but they dare not discuss anything with her uncle until Schalcken establishes himself and has enough money to support her. One night, a sinister, wealthy Dutchman named Vanderhausen of Rotterdam arrives to claim Rose for himself.
We all know how it was done back then. Rose is Dou’s ward and has no say in the matter. It’s purely a financial transaction. The ghastly Vanderhausen, who comes and goes mysteriously, returns the next night with a dowry of enough gold to make Garrett Dou agree to pledge his niece to the tycoon.
Vandherhausen is portrayed by John Justin in rough makeup. Since this is a horror story there’s no need to be coy here – he has the air of a ghost or an animated corpse. He may even be a statue from the Church of St. Lawrence come to life out of lust for Rose, whom he claims to have seen coming and going by the church many times.
Rose wants nothing to do with the monstrous Vanderhausen but her uncle is insistent upon the marriage. The young woman pleads with Schalcken to flee with her to save her from this forced marriage but he refuses to throw away his future by eloping with his tutor’s niece.
The day of the wedding comes and goes. Schalcken commits himself to his ambition and monetary pursuits, paying for prostitutes whenever he gets frisky.
Months go by with no word from Rose. Presently, Dou sends Schalcken to Rotterdam to make sure she is okay but no one in the city has ever heard of Vanderhausen. Godfried continues searching, and as another sign of his emotional coldness he even spends some time at a brothel while he’s in Rotterdam.
One day, Schalcken tracks down the carriage driver who transported Rose and her horrific new husband to the city. The driver relates an eerie tale of how he drove the newlyweds to the Church of St. Lawrence, where Vanderhausen and the reluctant Rose proceeded to the church’s mausoleum in the lower levels, never to return.
The driver eventually sought them out for his fee but found no trace of the couple. Just a pouch filled with his fee, paid in silver.
Godfried returns to Dou with his account of the search. Both men are uneasy but Garrett has his fat dowry to keep him happy and Schalcken has his ever-growing reputation and commissions as an artist.
One night, a terrified, bruised and battered Rose shows up, having escaped her ghastly husband and begging Godfried and her uncle to protect her from Vanderhausen when he inevitably comes looking for her.
The frightened woman is too hysterical to relate what has happened to her but keeps repeating “the dead and the living can never be one.” All the candles are blown out by a supernatural wind and in the darkness Vanderhausen has somehow made off with Rose.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
Years go by. Godfried is now so famous he commands commissions far higher than his elderly former teacher Dou. He coldly gloats over that and continues seeing prostitutes periodically.
During one such bordello visit he hears tales of a beautiful new prostitute named Rose of Rotterdam but he can never find her. Eventually, Godfried enters a loveless marriage with a woman whose male relative he pays a handsome dowry to.
The elderly Dou passes away and by now is so forgotten that Schalcken is virtually the only attendee at his funeral. Garrett is buried at the graveyard near the Church of St. Lawrence and an odd feeling tempts Godfried to linger. After dark he walks down to the mausoleum.
Down there he comes across the tomb of Vanderhausen, who died centuries ago. He also sees the ghost of Rose, whom he mistakenly believes is alive. He shows her his purse to prove he can now afford to buy out her marriage contract to Vanderhausen.
The now slatternly Rose laughs cruelly and dumps the contents of the purse on the cold stone floor. She trods the gold coins underfoot while pulling back a curtain to reveal her animated corpse/ statue/ whatever husband lying on a slab.
Schalcken watches in horror as Rose disrobes and mounts her naked spouse, by now so inured to their macabre lovemaking that she enjoys it and tauntingly lets Godfried hear just how much she enjoys it.
The artist, half-terrified out of his mind, flees back to his home where he refuses to speak to anyone for hours. He works out his feelings about all this through a painting depicting himself watching Rose in the foreground about to mount Vanderhausen, but only he and we viewers know that’s what she’s about to do.
Schalcken the Painter must be seen to be appreciated. I will mention again how beautifully melancholy every scene is, especially with their resemblance to paintings by Old Dutch Masters. If you enjoy VERY slow-paced, period horror films you will love this 69-minute wonder.
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