·
What
makes G W Pabst’s 1929 film Pandora’s Box (Die Büchse der Pandora)
so astonishing is the non-moralistic candour of its ambiguous sexuality and the
electrifying presence of a 22-year-old American actress named Louise Brooks. Based on two plays by Frank Wedekind, the film
is a completely modern creation, concentrating on the amorous exploits of Lulu,
available to seemingly everyone but possessed by no-one, who manages to bring
all of her suitors, male or female, to grief.
·
When
all is said and done, I would say Pandora’s Box is a great film, an
impressively skilful film, but one that’s very much in debt to the presence of
Louise Brooks. It will probably always
be included on lists of the greatest films ever made. It will probably always enjoy praise. But it does seem to me that the real cult of
the long and gritty Pandora’s Box is actually the cult of Louise Brooks.
·
With Pandora’s
Box you forget that it’s black and white. You forget that the internet has yet to
happen. You forget that more than two
hours have gone by. You forget because
it’s completely modern — 100 per cent gripping and involving.
·
Full of striking imagery which, once seen, will stay with you
forever, this is a highly accomplished piece of work which brings together some
of the greatest talents of the era. 1929 was a good year for cinema, but
amongst its several treasures, Pandora's
Box stands out.
·
And yet, seen today, Pandora’s Box is a bold and captivating film and
Louise Brooks’ performance simply breathtaking. Playing the bright, vivacious but totally
amoral and curiously vulnerable Lulu, she dominates virtually every scene she
appears in.
Although made in 1928 and first screened in 1929, the greatness of Pandora's Box wasn't recognised until 1953, when the acting style of Louise Brooks, quite literally decades ahead of its time, was finally regarded for the triumph that it was. Lulu tells the story of one of the greatest silent movies ever made, and the story of one of the greatest movie actresses of her era.
I recommend
Lulu as a psychological drama that will make you think – five stars. Kate Baldwin – author.
Lulu is a great novel. Janet Miller - author
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