Destiny (1921)

Originally posted to Facebook on 4/11/2017

Destiny was our fourth and final film from 1921, and the first we’ve seen directed by Fritz Lang. As with many of his films, it was co-written with his soon-to-be wife Thea von Harbou. Its plot is episodic; the framing story involves a woman (played by Lil Dagover, the female lead from 1920’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) trying to reclaim her fiance, played by Walter Janssen, from a personified Death. In response, Death, played by Bernhard Goetzke, challenges her to save the lives of any of three men who are all fated to die -- which sets up the episodic middle portion of the film. These sequences take place in an unspecified Muslim country, in Italy, and lastly in China -- and the leads in each sequence are played by Dagover and Janssen, in local dress and sometimes make-up, most egregiously in the Chinese segment. Needless to say, these segments mar the film significantly, particularly the Chinese segment, which is intended to be comedic, but is instead cringe-inducing. This is all the worse since the framing story is actually quite strong and atmospheric -- with a weary stoic Death, surrounded by burning candles representing the length of people’s lives. Those sequences, along with some of the darker or more philosophical moments have the makings of a strong, intense film, perhaps somewhere in the same neighborhood as The Phantom Carriage. However the three interludes (or “Stories of the Lights” as they’re identified by the title cards) are not only racist (to varying degrees) but they are also lighter in tone, which saps some of the intensity. Fritz Lang, of course, was famous both for his silent and sound films, and was one of the key links between German Expressionism and noir. I believe we’ll be seeing more of his films along the way, and I hope that I’ll like them more than I liked this one.

Next week we begin 1922 with Sherlock Holmes, which is based on the same play as the 1916 version we saw starring the play’s author, William Gillette. This 1922 version stars John Barrymore, and has some other prominent actors as well. Additionally, I’ve added films from 1923 to our viewing plan, which should take us out through the end of May. The list, as always, is here: https://bit.ly/2lZtfmT

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Originally posted to Facebook on 1/13/2017

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was our second film from 1920, and, I think, our first German feature. It was also the first feature in this project that I had actually seen before in its entirety. It is, of course, famously bizarre and unsettling, with strange sets, slanted doors and windows, odd furniture, and ostentatiously unrealistic painted backgrounds. The only feature we’ve seen that is even close to this film’s artificiality is 1918’s The Blue Bird.

The plot concerns the hero, played by Friedrich Feher, who tries to prevent a sleepwalker named Cesare (played by Conrad Veidt) from terrorizing the city, at the direction of Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss), especially after his friend (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) and girlfriend (Lil Dagover) become targets.

So much has been said and written about this film that I’m not sure I have much to add. I think it largely lives up to its reputation; the acting is sometimes overwrought, and not every eccentricity pays off, but cumulatively it does capture a strange dreamlike state. The ending still feels like a mistake to me, but Ben did not anticipate it and I could hear him puzzling it out as he started asking questions while the film wound down. He brought it up a few times subsequently too -- so I guess it still has a certain power to fresh eyes. (Though on the flip side, the kids also noticed that Dr. Caligari was wearing white gloves, and for a while were reading the title cards in a Mickey Mouse voice, until I suggested that perhaps the joke had worn out its welcome.)

Next week we’ll watch our third film from 1920: The Penalty, with Lon Chaney. The list, as always, is here: https://bit.ly/2lZtfmT