Description

The crowning achievement of the Weimar cinema, The Blue Angel is an exquisite parable of one man's fall from respectability, presented in both the newly-restored German and English-language versions.
Emil Jannings, the quintessential German expressionist actor, stars as Professor Rath, the sexually-repressed instructor of a boys' prep school. After learning of the pupils' infatuation with French postcards depicting a local nightclub songstress, he decides to personally investigate the source of such indecency. But as soon as he enters the shadowy Blue Angel nightclub and steals one glimpse of the smoldering Lola-Lola (Marlene Dietrich), commanding the stage in a top hat, stockings and bare thighs, Rath's self-righteous piety is crushed. He finds himself fatefully seduced by the throaty voice of the vulgar siren, singing, "Falling in Love Again." Consumed by desire and tormented by his rigid propriety, Professor Rath allows himself to be dragged down a path of personal degradation. Lola's unrestrained sexuality was a revelation to turn-of-the-decade moviegoers, thrusting Dietrich to the forefront of the sultry international leading ladies, such as Greta Garbor, who were challenging the limits of screen sexuality. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Kino's 2-disc DVD version
Relative newcomer Marlene Dietrich's electrifying performance in the 1930 sound film THE BLUE ANGEL overshadows the perhaps even greater performance by Emil Jannings as a sexually-repressed professor. Her screen presence also more than overcomes Josef von Sternberg's rather static direction that was typical of early sound films, elevating this romantic melodrama into its classic status.

Kino's region-free DVD contains both the German and the English versions of the film, each on a separate disc. Both versions look very clean for a 71-year-old film, although just a tad less sharp than I would have liked. The English version looks a bit cleaner still. The supplements include a side-by-side comparison of the two versions (with the German version shown on the left), and the English version indeed looks better. The German version is supported by optional, white-on-black-bar English subtitles. The black bars, of course, cover up part of the picture. I would suggest Kino use white, black-bordered lettering for subtitles in the future instead.

The German version runs 102 minutes, and has a few scenes that are not shown in the English version due to censorship (such as the moment when Lola rotates her body to reveal her bare back side to her nightclub audience). The English version runs 100 minutes. Although it was supposedly made for English audiences, only Dietrich's role is all English-speaking, while the other actors speak a combination of both languages -- English for important dialogs, German for less important ones.

The included audio commentary on the German disc is a mild disappointment. Although historian Werner Sedendorf's analytical comments are excellent, he just does not speak often enough. Long stretches of silence are frequent. Kino should have thought of filling the vacancies with additional comments (either by Sedendorf or someone else), especially when a lot of relevant topics are not adequately covered, such as the legendary collaborations between Dietrich and von Sternberg, the details about the censorship practiced on the English version, the period of German Expressionism that inspired directors like von Sternberg, etc.

The DVD does include a generous amount of extra material. There is a wonderful biography section that includes photos and credits of about 30 cast and crew members. There are about 150 photos, some of which are then-and-now comparisons of some of the props and costumes in the movie. There are text screens of the film's production history. The best extras, unquestionnably, are the 4 film clips of Dietrich's screen test and concert performances. There is a memorable clip of the 1930 screen test of Dietrich singing "You are the Cream in my Coffee." There are 2 clips of televised concerts from the 60s and 70s showing Dietrich performing two of the songs in the movie (English renditions of "Falling in Love Again" and "Lola Lola"). There is another TV footage of her singing "You are the Cream in my Coffee" after reminiscing about her 1930 screen test.

The "Stepping Stone" for Marlene Dietrich's World Conquest
Joseph von Sternberg 'packaged' his muse, Marlene Dietrich to become a world star with "The Blue Angel". The disturbing story of a revue entertainer (Dietrich) and the middle aged professor(Emil Jannings)who falls madly in love with, and later is destroyed by her, based on the novel "Professor Unrat". Many unforgettable songs by Friedrich Hollander are featured, most noteworthy of course "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt" ("Falling in Love Again") and "Ich bin die feche Lola" ("They Call Me Naughty Lola"). -- There is a dub-version available, but I recommend the original German with subtitles. Many effects are lost with the former. I can highly recommend this film, a must for fans of either the stars or the director!*****

Falling Too Hard
This memorable, iconic film stars Marlene Dietrich as the showgirl Lola Lola, Emil Jannings as the Professor, and is directed by Josef von Sternberg. Stodgy, upright Herr Professor enters the cabaret after following some of his pupils, whom he's discovered with postcards of the singer Lola. He is shocked by the degradation of the place, but then catches sight of Lola and finds himself fascinated. In spite of himself, he returns again and again to the nightclub, driven by his feelings for Lola, a mixture of blatant lust and intense curiousity. Through a series of dressing room encounters, the Professor becomes acquainted with Lola, who views him as an amusing distraction, a relic with his gentlemanly ways and old-fashioned manners. The Professor proves useful in his way, serving as a foil between her and unwanted advances from customers and unwelcomed suitors. With the best of intentions the Professor offers Lola his hand in marriage, offering her his protection, and his good name. This is meaningless at the cabaret, no one plays by his rules. The befuddled Professor tries to fit in, but cannot, and in the process loses himself entirely. He can't change himself, just as he can't change Lola ~ to change Lola would be to destroy her, just as the Professor, through the change he endures, destroys himself. There is a sort of backhanded morality here: Lola cannot help for what she is, she is a product of what she has seen in her life, what she has been forced to do in order to survive, just as the Professor can't help for what he is, the product of his own background, mores, and values. He might have survived had he realised that what a person portrays on stage is not necessarily what that person truly must be, once the curtain is wrung down. The film arrives to its inevitable tragic end, climaxing with a scene of devastating humiliation. Many underlying psycho-sexual themes run through this film, the most obvious being repression vs freedom, and at what cost 'liberation' is achieved. To view the film in the context of the era in which it was made ~ a time portending many social and moralistic upheavals ~ makes for some interesting discussion. Marlene Dietrich, in her role, is in turns cold and unbending, charming and vexing, wise and vulnerable, and always, always absolutely luminously beautiful. Jannings is heartbreaking as the Professor. A must-see for anyone interested in cinema.

One of Kino's best packages. A must for Marlene Fans!!!!!!!!
I like most the DVDs that Kino makes but I must say that this is their most impressive package. A two disk set, the features are marvelous, including both versions of the film (which look great)! Marlene Dietrich musical performances, scene comparison, informative commentary, and a not to be missed screen test with Marlene. The film alone is great, but the DVD package makes it outstanding. Its about a professor, Emil Jennings, who is perfectly cast, and his downfall after meeting a nightclub dancer named Lola Lola, played with great charisma by Marlene Dietrich. A must, don't hesitate to but the Kino 2-disk set if your a Dietrich fan!

A classic of world cinema
A German cinema classic from the late Weimar-era, and the film debut of super-sexy Marlene Dietrich, who is stunning in her role as a flirtatious, heartless cabaret singer whose carnal wiles bring an infatuated school teacher to ruin. But then, what is *really* responsible for his downfall? Dietrich as the temptress, his own repressed sexuality and concurrent fetishization of her beauty, or the close-mindedness of the society around them? As with much of the art of this era (in Germany and without), this film depicts the clash of the old world and the new -- the modern, open, crass, liberating and chaotic world of the individual against the older, stable, stifling, communal and "moral" world of the village and church. At any rate, the transformation of actor Emil Jannings from a fusty old humbug into a degraded shell of a man is a dramatic triumph, and the direction, by Josef von Sternberg, is flawless -- filled with darkness, closeness and brooding claustrophia. The new DVD version features both the German and English-language versions (the English version isn't dubbed, it was actually *acted* in English by the same German actors, and has a few interesting differences of moral tone...) and also includes, as an added bonus Marlene Dietrich's first screen test, which is hilarious, and a must-see for her fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

F.W. Murnau's last German production before leaving for Hollywood is avisually dazzling take on the Faust myth. Pushing the resources of the grand oldGerman studio UFA to the limits, Murnau creates an epic vision of good versusevil as devil Emil Jannings tempts an idealistic aging scholar with youth,power, and romance. The handsome but wan Swedish actor Gosta Ekman plays themade-over Faust as a perfectly shallow scoundrel drunk with youth, and thelovely Camilla Horn (in a part written for Lillian Gish) is the young virgincourted, then cast aside, by Faust. The drama falters in the middle with atedious courtship and bizarre comic interludes, but the delirious images of theopening (Jannings enveloping a mountain town in his dark cloak of evil) and thehigh melodrama of the climax (Horn desperately clutching her baby whilecrawling, abandoned and lost, through a snowstorm) triumphs over suchshortcomings. The sheer scale of Murnau's epic and the magnificent play oflight, shadow, and mist on his exquisitely designed sets makes this one of themost cinematically ambitious, visually breathtaking, and beautiful classics ofthe silent era. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Epitome of an Epic
For all intents and purposes, this is THE silent film to own, if one can own just one. It has everything. Drama, special effects, comedy, allegory, myth, good vs evil. Murnau is a director par excellence and displays his visionary propensities to splendid effect in this classic Goethe tale. The inimitable Emil Jannings plays a hearty, red-blooded Mephisto. Jannings as a silent screen actor invokes in one look, or a singular movement, what some contemporary actors could not hope to capture within a fete of endless dialogue. Camilla Horn plays a heartbreaking Gretchen, and the scene in which she wanders the snow with her dying baby is as evocative as it gets. Grab a hankie and do not feel shamed to find yourself swept along for the ride, of which there is a most splendid one included in this film, where Faust and Mephisto glide above a world in miniature. Amazing, exhilarating, absorbing. You shan't be disappointed.

Murnau's Best!
Murnau's interpretation of Goethe's brilliant epic is by far his best film. Ever overshadowed by the more popular "Nosferatu," "Faust" shows a creativity and ingenuity rarely seen in film making since. Murnau's genius shines through every shot of the film.

Emil Jannings, a staple of German expressionist film, steals the show as Mephistopheles capturing perfectly the malicious glee which Goethe depicted. Camilla Horn is the perfect tragic figure in the role of Gretchen, amazingly pulling off the character's fall into insanity. Gösta Eckman, though the least memorable of the three, plays Faust well, clearly illustrating his arrogance and intelligence.

It is, however, Murnau himself who truly makes the film shine. From Mephistopheles' unleashing of the plague to Gretchen's wanderings in the snow, every shot is magic. His use of effects far beyond their time is not overbearing but truly effective in illustrating the story. It is honestly his best film, far outclassing the rest.

Kino has done a nice job in its distribution and restoration of the film. The orchestral soundtrack fits the film for the most part and the transfer was done well, leaving a very enjoyable silent film.

I could not recommend this film more.

faust
on one level this is a supreme accomplishment in visual imagination and a special effects extravaganza. it brims over with overwhelming, powerful, sublime images. the world really seems veiled under an evil spell. sinister sense of doom pervades through every valley, seeps thru every crack.
human intellect, will, imagination, and even hope all seem helpless against or easily tricked by the temptations of worldly glory. murnau's use of images is allegorical, illustrating how the inner sanctum of the human soul is easily reached by the sharp yet seductive claws of darkness. it is bleak and tragic, showing us how we are either damned by being denied what we most desire and for what we would sacrifice to attain that which is denied us. the saddest yet the most beautiful thing in the movie is its view of death, that perhaps only death can liberate us from this life, as a moment of realization, acceptance, and resignation. indeed, is there anything more meaningful in this life than to die with final illumination of the self, the meaning that resolves all contradictions?

This is why we have movies today!
Do you know that many older people dream all or in part in black and white? Our dreams (and perhaps that is what movies are) were framed by our visions of movies and TV. Murnau's, "Faust" is one of those visual images that sets in your mind and comes forward when you reflect on movies. It is that good, it is that powerful. Like his later movie, "Sunrise," Faust is a visual feast that is more colorful in black and white than it could possibly be in color. (I ALWAYS maintain that Kurosawa is more colorful in b-&-w than in color)
The story is simple. It is the story of Faust, a man who sells his soul to the Devil. The movie does slow down in the middle. But the imagry of the beginning and the end are worthy of the finest film crafting of all time.
I taught histoy for many years and an important facet of history is getting and understanding of where the world of today came from. We have cars because 100 years ago people grew fond ofr cars. We have airplanes because 100 years ago people grew to want planes. And we have movies because 100 years ago people made them part of their lives. Faust is one of those beautiful works of art that people love then and can still admire today.
Praise goes to Kino for producing a clear well scored DVD of a work of art for us to study and admire.

Stunning reproduction and photography, good art film
I'm not a silent film buff. But the story of Faust was enough of a temptation. The black and white photography, alone, makes this worth watching. The textures, gray tones, and authentic and artistic style kept me a captive audience. The orchestral soundtrack is something you would expect from Wagner. All in all, an excellent viewing experience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the most influential silent films of all time, F.W. Murnau'sstreet-drama tragedy (of an aging hotel porter who loses his job to a younger,more dashing man and suffers the humiliation of being demoted to washroomattendant) is a compendium of silent film techniques handled with a newsophistication. When the hearty, rather pompous Emil Jannings loses thedignified uniform of his station, he transforms into a scared little manscurrying through the shadows to hide his demotion from friends and family.Murnau captures the humiliation and calamitous fallout from the demotion (heloses not just his self-respect, but the esteem of his neighbors and even hisapartment) in haunting, expressionistic images that magnify the petty eventsinto tragic melodrama. The story seems a little extreme even for the genre butit's never less than a harrowing, subjective experience, even with the ratherfanciful happy ending tacked on the end of it. Most famously, Murnau throws thecamera into motion--one of his most famous shots takes the viewers up anelevator, through the grand hotel lobby, and out the revolving glass door in asingle smooth shot--and it hasn't stopped moving since.

Kino's DVD features a wonderful score by Timothy Brock and the Olympia Chamber Orchestra as well as the credits montage sequence from the German release. Production stills are also included among the supplements. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Not very funny.
F.W. Murnau's *The Last Laugh* may make you wonder if film technique has really advanced appreciably during the 80 or so years since its release. Murnau and cameraman Freund tell their story strictly with the camera. (There's only one title card during the movie -- an apologia for the tacked-on happy ending just after the story should've really ended.) As has been noted, the camera MOVES in *The Last Laugh*: it swoops down corridors, glides through doors, closes in on Emil Janning's Porter, creates hypnotic hallucinations, on and on. I'll grant that these moves can make you feel as if you're attending Film School 101, creating the problem of detaching you from the actual story. Well, the industry had to start somewhere! Murnau's Expressionist advances in movie art over the even-earlier giants like Griffith remain not only significant but still inspiring to watch. As for the story itself, it's a nauseatingly depressing tale of a genial, rather pompous old doorman who can no longer cut the mustard. "Out of consideration" for his previous decades of service, the management at the ritzy hotel Atlantic doesn't out-and-out fire him -- they send him down, Dante-like, to the washroom, to towel-dry the hands of capitalist pigs. (This may be the only movie in existence wherein a demotion at work is the prime source of tragedy.) The degradation is most keenly symbolized by the exchange in uniforms -- from gold-buttoned, Colonel-of-the-Guards magnificence to unadorned, white proletarian oblivion. It's basically a movie about the eternal class struggle, though some have seen, in Jannings' transformation from blustering bigwig to sagging, nearly immobile old man, an allegory of Germany itself after the Great War. Maybe . . . maybe not. However you interpret *The Last Laugh*, you should probably own it if you're serious about movies. If you haven't yet seen it, rent it at least, and discover where guys like Orson Welles stole all their ideas.

Life and Tragedy
1924's "The Last Laugh" is a short, simple, direct tale of an elderly hotel doorman. Becoming complacent, he is smugly replaced by a younger man, and assigned to work in the washroom. Shocked and ashamed, he steals his old uniform to hide his fate from family and friends. A whirlwind of symbolism, the opening scene dances down a moving, mechanical elevator. Director F.W. Murnau tosses in multiple-image montages(all composed in the camera), hallucinatory lighting effects, scenes filmed through glass, and what is probably the first portable, hand-held camera shots. "The Last Laugh" was written by Carl Mayer. Paul Rotha's "Film Till Now" relates that Mayer "was a careful, patient worker. He would take days over a few shots. He would rather return the money than be forced to finish a script the wrong way. Film mattered most. His little money he gave away to make others happy". "The Last Laugh" was an unequaled example of universal co-operation: Director F.W. Murnau, cameraman Karl Freund(who filmed "Dracula" 7 years later), Carl Mayer, and the great German actor Emil Jannings. "The Last Laugh" DVD contains the unusual "happy", alternate ending, chapter stops, and several photo stills. After "Faust" in 1926, Murnau was whisked away to America, where he bought extravagant autos and a racing yacht. Talking movies emerged in 1927, but Murnau's final effort, "Tabu", contained no dialogue. F.W. Murnau's sound-film talents will never be known. A car crash took his life near Santa Barbara in 1931. Greatness suddenly became memory. But oh, what a memory.

A True Classic
Sometime in the early '70s, I watched a weekly UHF series, which showcased cinematic masterpieces. It was hosted by Charles Champlain. After he introduced the particular film for that week, he proceeded to play the film itself. Afterward, there was some discussipon about the film that was just shown.

Some were titles I was familiar with; others were unknown to me. But every one of them were cinematic works of art. I remember seeing "The Cabinet Of Doctor Caliagri", Eisenstein's "Battleship Potemkin" and "Ivan The Terrible, Part I", Cocteau's "Beauty And The Beast", as well as Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". I remember the level of film-making quality, and thinking I never saw anything prior to what I saw in these films, to compare to what these films offered. They were not just thought-provoking, but they, very often, had a human or a dramatic, aspect to them which most commercial films never captured. I was enjoying the beginning of an education in the history of cinema.

Another treat in that film series was Murnau's "The Last Laugh". It wasn't just the story of a working man, and what happened to him when the source of his pride and satisfation was gone, which gripped me. It was also about how the film depicted the "neighbors" and "friends", who took delight in the doorman'ss humiliation, and how other employees, except for one, were more concerned about their own loyalty to the hotel, rather than expressing personal sympathy. It's a very human story, told in a very simple, but occasionally expressionistic, way.

Other reviewers have remarked about the fluid camera work, and the fact of Murnau's using just one title card. I agree that both of those elements contribute to making "The Last Laugh" a memorable film. I'd also add that Emil Jannings should get credit for his stunning, tragic performance. Don't miss this film!

The Pinnacle of Silent Cinema
F. W Murnau works are rare things - he made very few compared to other directors of his day, and many of those he did make have been lost. The reason he made so few can perhaps be understood by watching The Last Laugh. Like Chaplin, Kubrick and Leone, the effort that went into a single picture was the same effort another director might spread across ten. Nosferatu, his famous Dracula story, is great, and i hear his Faust and Sunrise are also things to behold - but many regard "The Last Laugh" as his masterwork, and also one of the greatest movies of all time. Lillian Gish once said that she never approved of the talkies - she felt that silents were starting to create a whole new art form. She was right, but the proof of this can not be seen in the work of Griffith, who was her frequent collaborator, and who she probably was thinking about when she made this statement - but in the work of German director F. W Murnau.

D. W Griffith is usually shunned for his stance on racial issues and praised for his abilities as an influential film artist. I believe he doesn't deserve this praise - and this movie is why. Not only was Griffith about as subtle as a migraine, but watching a Griffith silent, you get more words than images. There's a title card telling you what is about to happen in every image before it does. The images themselves are almost unnecessary - his style is more literary than cinematic. The difference between watching Griffith's Intolerance and watching F. W Murnau's The Last Laugh is like the difference between watching a silent comedy by Hal Roach and one by Charlie Chaplin. The latter of each pair (Murnau and Chaplin) were visualists and artists, using few words, constructing beauty and high emotion through seemingly simple situations (a tramp who discovers a lost child, or a hotel doorman who loses his job, which is the basis of The Last Laugh).

Silent directors strove to and were praised for their ability to tell stories through images alone, as much as possible, and this is one of the reasons silent cinema reached its pinnacle in F. W Murnau's The Last Laugh - which tells the story of a proud hotel doorman (Emil Jennings), who, after many years of service, is demoted from his position to a mens' bathroom attendant. Murnau tells an incredibly sensitive and human tale, showing how much the job meant to him by having him go to work instead of going to his daughter's wedding. He shows how the position made him respected in his neighbourhood, and how he could not face the neighbourhood without his doorman's uniform. And he tells the story almost entirely through images.

There are no title cards telling us what the images are - they are allowed to speak for themselves. The few words used are worked in through letters and signs. Many silent directors cheated and used title cards to explain the images, but only in this movie did the art form of silent movies, which Lillian Gish refers to, take shape.

I was amazed at the level of depth and emotional complexity that Murnau was capable of conveying without resorting to title cards (or their equivalent in talkies, the voiceover). This movie is also noteable for its brilliant use of expressionism, and the first brilliant use of a tracking shot. In Murnau's The Last Laugh, silent movies metaphorically were given movement, and learned to run.

Masterpiece
A wonderful integration of poignant musical composition, visual expressionism, and an O. Henry like plot twist into a cinematic masterpiece. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Painting with a Camera
An old woman grouchily gets out of bed and attends to her master.Trying to attach his assets, she is secretly poisoning the master little-by-little. The housekeeper drives off his grandson, a fledging young theater actor. A story-within-a-story, "Tartuffe" then begins Moliere's famous comedy, set in 18th Century France,as a play for the grandfather to enjoy. "Tartuffe" is a religious fraud, a pompous hypocrite seeking financial gain from his friend's estate, and sexual favors from his lovely wife. His true intentions are neatly hidden under the black cape of a saintly fanatic....In 1926, German genius director F.W. Murnau squeezed in a quickly shot "Tartuffe" in 6 weeks, just before he and actor Emil Jannings began work on "Faust". Scripted by Carl Mayer, photographed by Karl Freund, "Tartuffe" is a model of economy. The pace never flags. The "Tartuffe" DVD is a masterful restoration by Kino Films and an Italian group.3 separate cinema sources are edited into a polished new transfer. The quality surely rivals any viewing since the film was first seen. The DVD offers a valuable 32-minute documentary on Murnau's life and work. The documentary journeys to Murnau's Westphalia hometown and the Carpathian mountains. It reviews his service in the dismal trenches of World War I, and the sudden killing of his soldier-best friend. These traumas perhaps form the basis for the visceral psychological dramas his movies would explore. "Camera angles help photograph thought" Murnau wrote. A lover of Classical Art, many of Murnau's films reflect rich tableaus lifted directly from the works of Rembrandt. The documentary includes clips from Murnau's early rare movies, such as "Phantom" and "Schloss Vogeloed(The Haunted Castle)". In 1927, William Fox lured Murnau to Hollywood. Here Murnau reached the zenith of his cinema art with his first American film. He called it "Sunrise".

Tartuffe Played Silently
Murnau's film Tartuffe is an adaptation of Molière's 17th century play about religious hypocrisy. It would appear to be a daunting task to adapt a classic play, consisting almost entirely of dialogue, to the medium of silent cinema where the focus must be on the visual and where dialogue can be conveyed only with title cards. Murnau's film succeeds because he takes Molière's play only as his point of departure. He does not try to reproduce the language of the play with a succession of long title cards. Rather he finds the essence of the story and reproduces it visually. In this way he remains both faithful to Molière and to the demands of silent cinema.

Murnau presents Tartuffe as a film within a film. He uses, as a framing device, a modern story of an old man whose housekeeper is trying to get his money by turning him against his grandson. The grandson presents the film of Tartuffe to expose to the old man the housekeeper's hypocrisy. This modern story works well and parallels the story of Tartuffe in some interesting ways, but it takes up about a quarter of the running time of the whole film. Still Murnau is able, with the time remaining, to present a wonderful Tartuffe. This story involves a French nobleman Orgon who has come under the influence of an apparently pious, puritanical Saint, Tartuffe. Orgon dismisses the servants, throws out his luxurious furniture and even considers kissing his wife, Elmire, to be a sin. Naturally Elmire is upset about the change in her husband's behaviour. She sees through Tartuffe and sets out to expose him.

The comic acting of the three principles, Lil Dagover, Werner Krauss and especially Emil Jannings as Tartuffe, is very good. Jannings, walking around with a pious expression and a religious text pressed up against his nose, is hilarious. The film shows that while great silent comedy was mostly in the style of Chaplin and Keaton, it was possible to produce a very funny comedy of manners. A fine piano score by Javier Pérez de Azpeitia helps the light mood of the film. The music suits the film's period setting and follows the action well.

The tinted print on the Kino DVD has been restored and looks great. The print has hardly any visible damage, with only a few tiny blemishes. The image is sharp and clear and detailed. As an extra the DVD contains a half hour long documentary, The Way to Murnau. This film is interesting and provides a useful overview of Murnau's life and career and has a good number of clips from his films. This DVD is essential for anyone who likes Murnau's films. Tartuffe may not be one of his most famous films, but it is one of the most enjoyable. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Lesser-known among silent German classics, Waxworks is a carnival of a movie inviting you to visit three distinct freak shows and sample the thrills and peculiarities each has to offer. A young poet (Wilhelm Dieterle, who became Hollywood director William Dieterle) is hired to pen "startling tales" about three figures on display in the Wachsfigurenkabinett. Somehow he and his boss's daughter (Olga Belajeff) win plum roles in each fantasia he concocts. The Arabian Nights episode, featuring Emil Jannings hamming it up as Caliph Haroun al-Raschid, boasts demented architecture and a blend of comedy and surrealism that inspired Douglas Fairbanks's Thief of Bagdad. Conrad Veidt, making a memorably mad Russian icon of Ivan the Terrible, towers amid episode 2's fiercely angular compositions. Then, still-unnerving double-exposure cinematography is used to bring "Spring Heel Jack" (Werner Krauss's version of Jack the Ripper) out of the realm of fantasy and menacingly into the real-world framing story. Get your ticket right here. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Maybe not for everyone...
No doubt this film is important in various ways, such as representing German cinema and art of the time, and both sets and acting are good and interesting, but from a more general viewpoint this film might be a bit disappointing to the average viewer. Unless you are particularly interested in the Expressionist artwork or other technical aspects, "Waxworks" might seem to lack a concrete storyline or a lighter air like that of many American films of the time. Although the individual stories contained in Waxworks are good and interesting, the overall feel is a kind of heavy, dark intenseness; much like The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, for instance. Unless this style is of special interest or appeal to someone, this film might not be the best choice, but for a sample of German film and art, it's certainly worth a try. Otherwise, this DVD is excellent, with a few other interesting special features.

A worthy excursion into German Expressionism
Kino does a beautiful presentation of this entry into German Expressionism on film. The plot essentially includes a writer telling stories about figures in a carnival waxworks display. The writer is smitten with the daughter of the waxworks owner, as a sideline. These are fairly incidental to the trilogy of stories that intertwine.
First, Haroun Al-Raschid is played by Emil Jannings. This story is fairly humorous and very fun to watch, with a chase scene through an Escher-esque set as a baker tries to escape after a failed attempt at thievery.
This is followed by Ivan the Terrible, played by Conrad Veidt. Conrad plays an eerie, insane, and meglomaniacal potrayal of the famous tyrant. Ivan, as promised, is indeed, terrible and Conrad's acting adds volumes with this peek into murderous insanity.
Werner Krauss portrays Jack the Ripper in the third story (dreamed by the sleeping writer). His performance is grand and uncanny, though the association of Jack the Ripper with Spring Heeled Jack is highly erronious, and distracting. While Jack the Ripper never displayed any uncanny abilities to speak of (in the film as well), Spring Heeled Jack was known to leap great distances and heights and breath fire. These two characters have little in common, even down to the fact that there were numerous descriptions of Spring Heeled Jack by eye witnesses, and very few of Jack the Ripper. Additionally, Spring Heeled Jack is only credited with one murder, seemingly accidental. By combining them in such a poor manner, Leni does an injustice to two classic legends.
This film is classic of German Expressionism, and aside from bad scholarship, lives up to its reputation. The DVD includes the necessary original color-wash familiar to German silent films of its time, and is a very nice print to watch. Included as extras in this volume are REBUS FILM I, a fun 1926 short by Leni combining live footage and animation to perform a crossword puzzle on film. Also, an excerpt from Douglas Fairbanks's THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, as a comparision to Emil Jennings's role in WAXWORKS. The film WAXWORKS has 12 different scene selections.

German Horror Classic Debuts On DVD.
Paul Leni's WAXWORKS has taken its own sweet time in coming before the public in presentable form. This of course is not the film's fault. Now that it is here as part of a quartet of restored German Horror Classics, there is cause for much rejoicing. As is often the case with most anthology films the parts are greater than the whole. There are three episodes involving figures in a wax museum which are linked by the framing story of a writer writing about them. Are they scary? No, but at least one of them (IVAN THE TERRIBLE with Conrad Veidt) is genuinely disturbing while another (SPRING HEELED JACK with Werner Krauss) boasts the most expressionistic sets since CABINET OF DR CALIGARI (also in this set of four new releases from Kino International). The longest sequence features Emil Jannings in an Arabian Nights setting which is more comic in tone and surprisingly erotic thanks to Olga Belajeff who plays the romantic lead in all three stories. The male lead is William Dieterle who plays the writer. He would give up acting and become a major director in Hollywood during the 30's and 40's. This is the first time this film has ever looked this good. It was restored from two differnt prints and has been properly tinted. The accompanying piano score is effective especially in the IVAN sequence. WAXWORKS is not a great film but it is an important one. It is one of the first horror anthology films and boasts spectacular set designs for the three stories. While it won't scare you, it will entertain you and that is ultimately what it is all about. As mentioned earlier this is part of a quartet of silent German horror films newly restored and released on DVD. It can be purchased seperately but if you enjoy these type of films then spring for the whole package. In addition to NOSFERATU and CABINET OF DR CALIGARI, there is a striking new restoration of THE GOLEM. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Shakespeare's tragedy proves remarkably versatile in this 1922adaptation, combining the Bard's passionate melodrama with the richpsychological underpinnings of Germany's silent expressionist cinema.Directed with intelligent economy by Russian expatriate DimitriBuchowetzki, the film is brimming over with title cards, but only a fewof them borrow from Shakespeare verbatim. In both plotting and writtendialogue, this is a largely original interpretation, bearing closerresemblance to the 2001 teen drama O than to Shakespeare,emphasizing the ill-fated Moor's descent into jealousy and madness,brought upon him by the scheming Iago, played with delicious villainyby Werner Krauss of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari fame. AsOthello, the legendary Emil Jannings plays to the cheap seats withcrazed abandon, his bulging eyes about to burst from their sockets.It's the showmanship of a stage icon, but wholly appropriate to theescalating intensity of Shakespeare's play, the essence of which isadmirably retained. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Really Good, But Could Have Been Better.
I was looking forward to this release of OTHELLO with the same sort of anticipation that I had reserved for Kino International's RICHARD III. Therefore I must confess that I found this DVD something of a disappointment which has nothing to do with the film itself but rather with the presentation. My biggest complaint is with the piano score written to accompany the film. It's not a bad score but it seems inadequate for the story and for the visuals especially after hearing Ennio Morricone's score for RICHARD III. An orchestral or chamber music score would have been more appropriate. There's also a considerable lack of information about the main feature. Where are the credits? Having said that I found the film itself a delight. While not a literal adaptation of OTHELLO, it conveys the psychological essence of the play quite well. This is after all a German silent with the appropriate visual look and stylised performances that are to be expected with such a film. The performances of Emil Jannings and Werner Krauss are simply marvelous especially Krauss whose Iago resembles the Mephistopheles that Jannings would portray in FAUST two years later. His remarkable resemblance to Terry Jones of MONTY PYTHON adds a little something extra for today's audience. It's interesting but not surprising that Lya De Putti as Emilia receives higher billing than Ica von Lenkeffy as Desdemona. Her relationship with Iago is far more interesting than that of Othello and Desdemona. Hungarian actress De Putti appeared in a number of important German silents including THE INDIAN TOMB and VARIETY. Ica von Lenkeffy, another Hungarian actress, has little to do except stand around and look pretty which is often the case with Desdemona on film. Director Dmitri Buchowetzki mixes potent visuals, close ups, and large scale crowd scenes to great effect. The print is less than perfect but is probably the best available and is still very fine. The supplements are a definite plus and here the piano accompaniment fits quite nicely. The 1911 DESDEMONA takes the top honors. The resemblance of Ronald Colman's A DOUBLE LIFE to it did not go unnoticed. Check out Biograph's 1908 TAMING OF THE SHREW for a rare glimpse of Florence Lawrence, the original Biograph Girl, who portrays Katherine. There is also early Max Linder in ROMEO TURNS BANDIT and interesting costumes in DUEL SCENE FROM MACBETH. All in all a valuable release and a must for silent film fans. It's really good but it could have been even better.

Shakespeare Without Dialogue
Othello is a fine adaptation of the famous Shakespeare play. The idea of Shakespeare without dialogue might seem perverse, but in fact works very well, not least because Shakespeare's stories are so good. Moreover a flavour of Shakespeare's language is preserved in the title cards. This silent version is quite a lavish production, with large sets, detailed costumes and crowd scenes, but what makes it really stand out is the quality of the acting. Emil Jannings was an incredibly versatile actor. At times he is barely recognisable from one role to another. He looks totally different in, for example, Faust or The Last Laugh and his style of acting also changes from role to role. Douglas Brode, in an essay accompanying the DVD, argues that Jannings was a theatrical actor, chewing the scenery in his portrayal of Othello. I would disagree and would suggest that Brode has missed some of the subtlety of the performance. Jannings uses subtle changes of facial expression to convey Othello's mood. His portrayal of Othello's tortured jealousy is nuanced and far from over the top. Werner Krauss also gives a fine performance as Iago. He portrays Iago as Mephistopheles, bringing humour and devilry to the part. Kraus is also something of a chameleon. Those familiar with the actor from his role in The Cabinet of Dr Caligari will not recognize him as Iago. His acting is a joy to watch. Ica von Lenkeffy, in the role of Desdemona, can't really compete with two of the greats of German cinema, but she holds her own and looks stunning.

The print used for this Kino DVD is not perfect. There is a fair amount of damage and there are some occasional jumps where a few frames have been lost. However the print is perfectly watchable and the damage does not really spoil the enjoyment of the film. This enjoyment is enhanced by a very good piano score composed and played by John Mirsalis. This score has some fine themes and fits in well with the action.

As a bonus the DVD has four short films with a Shakespearian theme. The first of these, Duel Scene from Macbeth (1905) is mainly of interest because it is such an early film. It lasts barely a minute. The second, The Taming of the Shrew (1908) was directed by D.W. Griffith, but I wouldn't say it is one of Griffith's best Biograph films. The third short film Romeo Turns Bandit (1910) is more interesting, partly because it stars one of the great early comedians Max Linder. Also it exhibits the stencil colouring process used by Pathé. Unfortunately much of this colour has faded, but enough remains to get an idea of the process. The last short film, Desdemona (1911), is the longest of the four and I think the best. The story is of a group of actors putting on Othello with the backstage action mirroring that of the play. The print of the film is in pretty poor shape, but it is a pleasure to be able to see the film at all. These bonus films really add to the DVD and make it a must for silent film fans. ... Read more

Description

The story of The Love Goddesses is itself a history of sex in the movies beginning with America still in the shadow of the Victorian era and the movie heroine bound by the same conventions as any young lady of society. This brilliant documentary chronicles the massive changes in women's film sexuality from the beginnings of the motion picture at the turn of the century to the newfound frankness of the 1960s with clips of more than 100 actresses. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An okay DVD
This DVD is dated. It looked as if it was made no later that 1960. Poor picture quality, and they could've featured more love goddesses.

DVD just like the video
While most DVDs add something special to the disc, this one has nothing new to add. Both the video and DVD have some entertaining clips of Theda Bara, Marlene Dietrich, Clara Bow, Pola Negri, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe and others, but, unfortunately, the cuts between the Love Goddesses are obvious, as if the producers have done a quick job of putting all the actresses on a list and then splicing from one actress to another, without rhyme or reason. That's a shame because the subject is interesting. Still, if you love to watch some fascinating footage and will forgive the sudden shifts from one actress to another, you will enjoy "The Love Goddesses."

Celebrating the Love Goddesses of the Silver Screen!
This film, produced in 1965, is a wonderful collage of the many kinds of vamps, starlets, love goddesses, girls-next-door and sirens that have graced the silver screen since the turn of the century. See Theda Bara, Pola Negri, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth and even the child star Shirley Temple put their own indelible brand of love on the screen. It examines how, over the course of sixty years, women's sexuality has evolved, and played itself out in different arenas in film. While some of the film clips are a little iffy, it is exceptionally well made. A pure joy to own if you are an admirer of any of the actresses presented, interested in women's studies, pre-code Hollywood or the history of sexuality in film. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

review at bottom is incorrect
one of the comments below states that this disk contains the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.. which was the main reason why i bought it.. note that it DOES NOT! the other Murneau films are worth the buy, but it would have been great to have Cabinet too.

Titles included have changed
(...) Unfortunately, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is not included in this disk. Nosferatu, The Last Laugh, and Der Golem are packaged together from Triton Media. Bummer, huh?

Five Stars for the Movies; Three for the DVD
Even in the early days of cinema, Hollywood provided fluff. The Germans began to really experiment in the 1920s and were considered the real artists as well as the main rival to the studios. The three films on the German Silent Masterworks--The Golem, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Nosferatu--represent this great experimentation and high art that Germany had to offer; I only wish that the compilers had provided more features to complement the great works.

Der Golem (The Golem, directed by Robert Wiene, is the earliest example still in existence of a full length horror film. It is also the earliest surviving example of German Expressionism. The film is considered to be a forerunner of the classic image of Frankenstein. The moody atmosphere would influence the other tow films as well as movies to our present day. The grittiness of ancient Prague has never been captured as well. It is through this early film that we can understand and appreciate the horror genre more fully while still being entertained.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is fascinating. There is no other word to describe the mood, set, or storyline. This is when film took on a new life. We could actually see a new world. German Expressionism fully flowers in this shocker about a mad scientist and his helper who appears to be in a coma. This, like the other two, not only is important to watch for film history; it still packs a punch!

Nosferatu is the third and best known film in the collection. It is the first Dracula film as well as one of the great F. W. Murnaus' films. This vampire is not the suave Dracula of later films of even the book, yet a frightening bloodcuker with oddly elongated limbs and teeth. There is a forboding air throughout the film that doesn't lift until the very end. Don't watch this one without a light on!

Now, I have to tell you that these films are necessary for any film or buff. The question is: Is this the right format? The set does come with a useful booklet and some stills; however, where is the additional commentary? Books upon books have been written on these three films, yet not even one film historian could provide an audio track for one of the movies? I think that's a shame which is why I give the DVD itself three stars.

So, if you want to splurge and try to get all three films separately, that would probably be the best thing. If you're a film addict as myself and want to own three of the best early German flicks without spending a fortune--look no further. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

For director Josef von Sternberg and Marlene Dietrich it all began with The Blue Angel, one of the masterpieces of Germany's Weimar cinema. This landmark film thrust the sultry and unrestrained Dietrich on an unsuspecting international film audience. She plays the prototypical role of Lola, the singer who tempts repressed professor Emil Jannings (the king of expressionist actors) into complete submission night after night at the Blue Angel nightclub. The film perfectly captures the masochism and degradation of the Weimar Republic, just before the rise of Adolf Hitler. And yet the moral confusion exhibited by Jannings is really due to his own torment. Dietrich is merely an instrument of his innermost desires, standing on stage in top hat, stockings, and bare thighs singing "Falling in Love Again."--Bill Desowitz ... Read more