Cinematic Space and Set Design in Paul Leni’s The Last Warning

Abstract

This chapter presents an analysis of cinematic space and set design in The Last Warning, Leni’s fourth and final film for Universal Pictures. Mood and atmosphere are two crucial aspects of Leni’s oeuvre, and he achieved them through light, shadow, and innovative set designs. Using The Last Warning as a case in point, this chapter demonstrates how Leni’s mastery at creating uncanny décor translated within the new spatial context of extravagant Hollywood sets. The film illustrates Leni’s 1924 call to set designers to express mood in their work instead of simply producing faithful replicas of certain locations. In The Last Warning, Leni manipulates space to great effect, drawing the spectator into a haunted labyrinth of hidden corridors, secret passages, and dark staircases. This contribution explores The Last Warning’s set design within several contexts: the film’s limited plot; its unity of space, time, and action; and Leni’s general views on film architecture.