I've just watched a restoration of Georg Wilhelm (GW) Pabst's fabulous film, "Pandora's Box" - made in Germany in 1929. Louise Brooks plays the ill-fated Lulu, a high class prostitute with a soft heart. Franz Lederer (he died in 2000 aged 100 years!!) gives a superb performance as the man who really loves Lulu. If anybody (still) thinks that silent film is in any way inferior because of its lack of spoken word, this film demonstrates that masterful acting can transcend any handicap. The cinematography is hauntingly beautiful and the production values are of the very highest standard. I would count this film, along with Dreyer's "Joan of Arc" as arguably the two greatest films of the silent era, and in the top 10 in any genre of cinema over its long and distinguished history. The Germans were at the top of their game in silent film. (They weren't doing too badly in theatre and music either!!!!!!!!!)
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I have watched (and thoroughly enjoyed) F.W. Murnau's 1921 classic "Nosferatu" which was shown recently on Sky Arts. It was actually an unauthorised version of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" with the title (and most of the plot) changed to avoid litigation, but it is a masterpiece in its own right. It's full title was: "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens" which can be translated as "A Symphony of Horror". (Maybe I should have posted this in the music section!) -
Michael, yes this is also an INCREDIBLE film! You know Hitchcock got a lot of his ideas from German expressionist film. Also FW Murnau's "Sunrise" is another marvel. Fritz Lang is another stunning ex-German film-maker.
My kids were educated on this stuff during their childhood and most of them love great film now. I remember, years ago, a sister calling in and saying, "Oh my God, your children are sitting up watching opera"! Yes, it was "Der Rosenkavalier" on our multi-cultural network, SBS. I might have got at least something right as a parent....!!Comment
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I don't want to convey the idea that my kids are "goodie-two-shoes"!! They very much each have their own minds about things and are quite willing to get into a scrap with me to argue the merits of one film over another, one piece of music over another - and to remind me what a bore I am because I don't watch either the cricket or soccer!!!Comment
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None of us will ever meet your children so don't worry about it, but for the record, I very much doubt they would be goody two shoes.Originally posted by Bonn1827 View Post
And yes, you are a total bore for not watching the soccer
(Cricket, well, that's worse than Wagner - too long!)Comment
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