Waxworks (1924) ***

Uneven, but fascinating German expressionist film directed by Paul Leni and consisting of three distinct segments. The first one (first photo), set in 9th century Baghdad, is an example of "caligarism" at its most extreme and visually thrilling. Unfortunately, its story is a bit weak. The second segment (second photo), about Ivan The Terrible, is by far the best, both visually and narratively. It has clearly been an inspiration for Sergei Eisenstein's films made 20 years later. The third segment (last photo), about Jack the Ripper, is visually stunning, but much too short to develop any narrative threads.