Film Review
Pandora's Box is one of the
great masterpieces of early German cinema, directed by one of the
country's most accomplished cineastes, G.W. Pabst, and starring Louise
Brooks, one of the greatest and most instantly recognisable of film
icons. The film is virtually unique for its time in that it
combines the familiar expressionist technique of 1920s German cinema -
chiaroscuro lighting, stylised camerawork and darkly oppressive sets -
with tacitly realistic performances. It is this mix of dreamlike
expressionism and brutal realism which makes the film so effective and
intense, with a modernity which is rarely seen in films of this era.
Part morality tale, part social critique, the film is also a scathing
reflection of a Germany sliding into decadence and complacency in the
dying days of the Weimar Republic. It was based on the plays "Die
Büchse der Pandora" and "Erdgeist" by the eminent German
playwright Frank Wedekind. The film was poorly received when it
was first released, and proved to be highly controversial. For
its overseas releases, several cuts were imposed by the censor, and it
has only recently been fully restored. Most shocking were an
overt depiction of lesbianism (the earliest in cinema) and the film's
brutally nihilistic ending, which were cut from many versions.
German audiences were scandalised by Louise Brooks's portrayal of
Lulu. In contrast to the mannered, expressionist approach to
acting that was in vogue at the time, Brooks's performance is striking
in its restraint and realism. Brooks can almost be regarded as
the first modern film actor, employing very subtle facial expressions
to convey her character's emotions, instead of exaggerated body
gestures. At the time, some critics described her performance as
lazy and expressionless; today, it is judged to be extraordinarily
effective, one of the best to be found in any silent film.
Pabst was the only film director Louise Brooks worked for who
appreciated her talent and knew how to use it to maximum effect.
The American actress combines the irresistible overt sexuality of the
devastating femme fatale with a childlike fairytale innocence which
makes her even more alluring and dangerous to the men who fall under
her spell. Her roles in the two films she made for Pabst -
Pandora's Box and
Diary Of A Lost Girl - play to her
strengths and capture the essence of Brooks's own indomitable and
tragic persona. Like the characters she plays, Brooks was a
doomed heroine, unable to take command of the forces that drove her,
forces which would ultimately ruin her life and come very close to
destroying her.
Not only was Louise Brooks a natural-born actress of immense talent,
but she had the most remarkable screen presence. Henri Langlois
of the Cinematèque française famously rated her over
Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. Yet Brooks's career was short
lived, and her period of stardom even shorter. Her temperament
and scandalous private life made her unpopular with studio bosses in
Hollywood and, after a series of humiliations, she gave up acting for
good in 1938, beginning a period of slow decline that led to
depression, destitution and oblivion. Following her rediscovery
in the late 1950s, her fortunes improved and she made a name for
herself as a writer, although she was always dismissive of her own
abilities, stating that she failed at everything she tried. Today
Louise Brooks has that mythic quality that only the greatest of screen
actors acquire. The fact that her talent is revealed in so few
films (around half a dozen, if that) can only add to her mystique.
© James Travers 2008
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Next Georg Wilhelm Pabst film:
Tagebuch einer Verlorenen (1929)
Film Synopsis
No one can resist the appeal of Lulu. The beautiful young dancer
is cursed with a raw sensual allure that no man can resist. Dr
Schön gives up his fiancée and reputation to marry her -
and quickly regrets it. When he sees his son in Lulu's arms,
Schön hands her a gun and commands her to kill herself. In
the ensuring struggle, it is Schön who dies. Lulu is
condemned for his manslaughter, but manages to escape, with the help of
Schön's son and her erstwhile protector, Schigolch. A swift
decline towards poverty follows, and Lulu is driven into prostitution
to save herself and her friends from starvation. The final act of
her tragic life awaits her in the mist shrouded streets of London - a
meeting with Jack the Ripper...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.