i recently buy a vhs copy of this film do not think it available on dvd and watch it again several time and after fall in love with it on late night tv a a teenager back in the 1970s . the campy fun of watch the two ultimate horror star of the 30 duke it out in a context of satanism and melodrama and modern architecture be undeniable . however and there be something more to this film and and once it hit you and it hard to get out of your mind . the unspoken back story be the horror of world war i in europe and and both the script full of chill reference to dead men in trench and the fate of prisoner of war and the musical score and make up almost exclusively of excerpt from great symphonic work by european composer of the late 19th or early 20th century and evoke the darkness and damage and pain suffer and witness by european who survive that war . both karloff and lugosi be old enough to have vivid memory of the first world war and and lugosi in particular show a dramatic range that would surprise most 1931 dracula fan . lugosi give a bravura performance a the kind and gentle and haunt and torment psychiatrist and dr. vitus werdegast and who be drive to vengeful violence by the dreadful fate of his lose wife and daughter . this film be the best evidence and imho and of the talent he be say to have evidence a a shakespearian stage actor in his native hungary . his facial expression be extreme enough to be melodramatic on film and but they would obviously be just right and gripping and move and on stage . this movie strike me a have two reality represent one and it just an unusually good b horror film of the thirty and with two great star while and two it a dark and accurate description of what war do to the people who survive it . ( just for extra credit can anybody translate the latin invocation that boris karloff start in this film with cum grano salis . i really and really hope that he recite a recipe in latin . ) .