Schalcken the Painter (1979)

 

Schalcken the Painter is an odd little film. Directed by Leslie Megahey, most well known for The Hour of the Pig, it aired as a part of the BBC's arts documentary series Omnibus. Ostensibly presented as documentary, replete with a charming narrator discussing paintings on-screen, similar to what you probably watched in high school during history class, Schalcken the Painter is anything but. In fact, this is a horror movie, a ghost story, one that genuinely scared me straight. Schalcken is an apprentice of the famous Dutch painter Gerrit Dou, and his star pupil. But Schalcken is also madly in love with with Dou's niece, Rose. But when a mysterious visitor, who looks like a living corpse, offers Dou a box of riches in exchange for Rose's hand in marriage, Dou is swept away by his lust for money and gives in. Rose is married off, and never heard from again. Just who is this husband of hers? Under Megahey's assured direction, Schalcken the Painter oozes with a thick atmosphere that one can feel hanging in the air. His compositions, their placement of objects, and use of color, all evoke an otherworldly feeling without being too overbearing about it. There is also a considerable amount of humor, outside of the documentary facade, and even a bit of sex appeal. It is smartly paced, slowly turning the screws, ever so slowly, until you feel as if your stomach is about to implode. The tension is constant, and the payoff is worth it. But what I find most impressive about this film is how well it balances all of these various elements, and packs so much into a sixty-eight minute running time. That such a unique production was made for television is even more surprising. When was the last time we saw something like this on a television station? Megahey is a director who certainly deserves more attention; he spent almost all of his career working in television, but he used his limited resources well, and Schalcken the Painter is proof of his talent. In fact, Schalcken the Painter so offended the British film censors that it was not made available on any kind of home media until very recently. Seize the opportunity to see this horror masterpiece in miniature.