“The painter Albin Grau gave Robison the idea of this story: a jealous husband, irritated by his wife who let herself be wooed by four knights, suspects one of them to be her lover. During the supper, a sort of illusionist enters in the room and begins to entertain the guests with shadow games. This mysterious character, who has the intuition of an approching tragedy, hypnotises everybody and then let their shadows act on the wall. So he makes them do exactly what they were determined to do, if they had been dominated by instinct. Later the shadows return to their respective owners who leave the hypnosis. Serenity gets back to family, the lover leaves with the others. And the daylights appears.

As in all expressionist works, the situation of Schatten may seem melodramatic or even absurd. But the film visual impact (thanks to the splendid photography of Fritz Arno Wagner who alternates lights and shadows in an elliptical game of chiaroscuro, the styled recitation of the actors, the hieratic rythme imposed by the direction; all of this creates a silent ballet, a metaphorical pantomine punctuated by projected shadows on the walls and windows, enlighted by external lights, as frightning signals, as these mirors that reflect different images”.

(Vittorio Martinelli, Cinegrafie, n.7)

“London Nov. 20. Whether or not Warning Shadows arouses intense admiration or intense dislike, there is no half-way attitude; no one will deny that it is unlike any other film ever shown. Its appeal is uncompromisingly highbrow. If advertised as a show for those who have the taste of connoisseurs it could be screened in New York with every chance of success.

This drama, say the program which is so silent regarding facts, is wholly dependent upon the mental co-operation of the spectator. You are asked to replace the sub-title, which is entirely absent, out of your own imagination. The plot is not so difficult as that; it is, in fact, simple enough to do without captions.

This magical and magnificent film ends with quiet, homely touches to assure that the world is sane when not colored by the emotions of the spectators.

Throughout, the perfection of details shows the hand of a master. The photography, too, is excellent. Yet Warning Shadows it is said, has had to wait two years before being exhibited in london. How long will it have to wait before it will be ready for exhibition to the average picture patron?”

(Jolo, Variety, , 3.12.1924)