THE MYSTIC On Blu-ray From Criterion

 

Just in time for Halloween Criterion has released a two-disc Blu-ray set called TOD BROWNING'S SIDESHOW SHOCKERS, containing three films directed by the man called the Edgar Allan Poe of the screen. 

The set contains two of Browning's most famous features: FREAKS, the ultimate cult movie making its Blu-ray debut, and the disturbing THE UNKNOWN. Today I'll be discussing the third title in the set, a 1925 silent called THE MYSTIC. 

THE MYSTIC was the first movie Tod Browning directed after his smash success THE UNHOLY THREE. Both of those films have a number of things in common. THE MYSTIC is also reminiscent of other Browning tales such as THE WHITE TIGER and THE SHOW. 

As with most of Browning's silent films, the plot of THE MYSTIC is quite simple. An American con man named Michael Nash (Conway Tearle) encounters a troupe of Hungarian circus performers while in Europe. Nash is convinced that their act will be a big hit in the States. Nash sets up the exotic Zara (Aileen Pringle) as a mysterious psychic who can communicate with the dead. Soon the group is fleecing an innocent young heiress, but Nash starts to regret this decision, causing a rift between him and the Hungarians, who have become used to the American high life. 

I had never seen THE MYSTIC before, and I have to say that it's one of the lesser Browning efforts that I have viewed. It doesn't have enough of the weird eccentricities of the director's usual work. Conway Tearle is no Lon Chaney--he's supposed to be playing a notorious con artist, but Tearle looks and acts more like a businessman. THE MYSTIC also has a happy ending that doesn't jibe with the rest of the story. 

The best scenes in THE MYSTIC by far are the seance sequences. They're creepy, despite the fact that Browning makes sure to show the viewer the tricks involved to accomplish them. Aileen Pringle shows plenty of spunk as Zara, and she gets to wear a number of bizarre costumes, which were designed by famed artist Erte. I believe the story would have been better served if Pringle had gotten more to do than Tearle. 

The visual quality of THE MYSTIC on this Criterion Region A Blu-ray disc is fine, although the picture is a bit soft at times. This movie is given a new score by Dean Hurley. It's a score that I have to admit I'm not a fan of. It's very avant-garde and obtrusive, and it also includes a number of sound effects that draw too much attention to themselves. 

The other two films in this Tod Browning set have new audio commentaries, but THE MYSTIC does not. There is an introduction by Browning biographer David J. Skal that gives background info on the movie. 

Even though I wasn't all that impressed with THE MYSTIC, I give Criterion credit for including a lesser-known example of Tod Browning's work on this set. THE MYSTIC isn't terrible, I just feel that there's plenty of other Browning features that have far more interesting and notable elements. The TOD BROWNING'S SIDESHOW SHOCKERS set is still a great purchase, and I intend to write a blog post on the restored version of THE UNKNOWN included on it in the future.