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Varieté (DE 1925) #Filmfest 861 #DGR

https://derwahlberliner.com/2022/11/11/variete-de-1925-filmfest-861-dgr/

CONGRESS DANCES (’31): Been wanting to see this one for a while, and wasn’t disappointed. Delightfully frothy fun. Lillian Harvey is an aggressive marketing shopgirl who ends up in a romance with the Tsar of Russia. The scene where she rides the carriage through Vienna to the tsar is the highlight and an absolute treat- loved the fluid camera, the settings, the singing. Your nice mix of romance, comedy, and music typical of this era in Weimar Germany. Kind of a downer ending though… #weimarfilm

LAUGHING HEIRS (’33): Cute #weimarfilm comedy of a low-level employee at his uncle’s winery who inherits the place under condition of staying dry for a month. Easier said than done, not so much by his own weakness but by connivers hoping to trick him into boozing so they can take over. And of course, this unfolds as he’s falling for rival winery owner’s daughter. Support cast full of characters who provide added levity to already-frothy comedy. A delightful distraction.

MICHAEL (1924): Beyond directing, turns out Benjamin Christensen was also a darn good actor, this serving as another piece of evidence for that argument. He’s a painter in love with the title character, who drifts away from him toward a seductive countess. A historically important piece, this is very beautifully done on multiple counts, including very stylish photography and strong performances. #silentfilm #weimarfilm

EARTH SPIRIT (1923) has the unfortunate handicap of being the earlier version of a bonafide #silentfilm classic, PANDORA’S BOX. But even trying to judge it on its own merits… this really isn’t that good. Hokey, bizarre acting all around, with an odd plot structure that’s difficult to follow. Asta Nielsen is a legend, but I don’t think she was right in the role. And while trying not to compare, you can see how Brooks’ detached performance in the latter added so much to final product. #weimarfilm

Kicked off a double feature at MOMA yesterday with PRIVATE SECRETARY (’31), one of those early-talkie German “light operettas” that generates plenty of laughs and smiles. This one, starring the charming Renate Muller, has a young secretary falling for a senior manager she thinks is a junior employee. You’ve seen it before, but this is all packaged delightfully, with cute songs and a hilarious comic relief turn by a pre-Hollywood Felix Bressart. #weimarfilm

By far the strongest things going for THE INDIAN TOMB (1921) are the sets and scale. Eye-popping is a good adjective. Impressive to see imagination come to life in this way. It just feels epic. As for the story, it’s fine but (imo) could have benefited from some trimming. At times it feels every bit of its four-hour runtime. Part 2 a bit better than 1, no surprise, since 1 was the long setup for all the action unfolding in 2. #silentfilm #weimarfilm