Phantom (1922) User Reviews (21)

One of Murnau's best visually told films

[thao · 8/10 · 4 October 2006]

I just saw Phantom (F.W. Murnau: 1922) for the first time. It just came out on DVD (from Flicker Alley). The transfer is really good and the music is beautiful. I was a bit disappointed that the inter titles are in English and tinted green but other than that, I have no complaints.

The film was good. It is extremely well told with some unbelievable scenes. It is really worth buying the DVD just for those scenes. I had how ever problems with the story (I just could not believe that an honest man like that would loose his head so easily). I also thought that Alfred Abel was to old for the part, even though he was good in the role.

This is not one of Murnau's best films but it is one of his best visually told films. I give it 7/10.

Moralist Tale of Corruption of Human Character and Redemption

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 24 November 2011]

In Germany, the honest city clerk and aspirant poet Lorenz Lubota (Alfred Abel) lives a poor but decent life with his mother (Frieda Richard), his ambitious sister Melanie (Aud Egede Nissen) and his younger brother Hugo Lubota (H.H. v. Twardowski). Lorenz shows his poems to the father of his sweetheart Marie Starke (Lil Dagover), who is the local bookbinder, and the man wrongly believes that Lorenz is a promising poet. The bookbinder promises to show his poems to a prominent professor for evaluation, but the man concludes that they are worthless. Meanwhile Melanie leaves her home to become a prostitute in a cabaret.

When the distracted Lorenz is going to work, a woman named Veronika Harlan (Lya de Putti) that is driving a horse-drawn chariot runs over him and he follows Veronika and immediately has a crush on her. Lorenz pays a visit to his wealthy and wary aunt and pawnbroker Schwabe (Grete Berger) to borrow some money to buy an appropriate suit since he believes that he will become a successful writer and make lots of money with the royalties of his poems. However he is followed by a swindler (Anton Edthofer) that dates Schwabe and they spend the borrowed money in a cabaret where Lorenz meets Melanie. The swindler stays with Melanie and convinces Lorenz to borrow a large amount from Schwabe. The naive Lorenz gives part of the money to the swindler and uses the rest to buy clothes to Veronika to seduce her. When Schwabe discovers that Lorenz is a liar and his poems will not be published, she gives a three days schedule for him to pay his debts; otherwise she will call the police. But the swindler suggests a scheme to Lorenz.

"Phantom" is a moralist tale of corruption of human character and redemption by F.W. Murnau. The story is divided in six acts and has flaws and lack of explanation for many situations, but since the film was reconstructed and restored in 2003 by the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv of Berlin, parts of the original work might be missing. The dramatic plot has many parallel stories entwined through the lead character Lorenz.

I saw this film in a Brazilian DVD with a nice soundtrack and in accordance with the Wikipedia, the first screening of "Phantom" in Brazil was on 30 October 2008, on the 120th anniversary of F.W. Murnau. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Fantasma" ("Phantom")

Day Dream Believer

[st-shot · 6/10 · 4 November 2010]

Town clerk Lorenz Lubota is a retiring bookish fellow about to settle into a contented hum drum existence when he is bowled over by a carriage on his way to work . Only stunned by the accident he becomes obsessed with the striking beauty of the driver turning the rest of his world upside down. Lorenz then foolishly pursues the woman with an ungovernable monomania that creates havoc in both his personal and professional life. Exploited by a slick grifter he betrays a benefactress and when his clumsy attempt to win the hand of his obsession falters he is exploited by a mother-daughter team and the spiral picks up speed.

Made the same year as Nosferatu director FW Murnau taps down the phantasmagoria considerably in this slow go that reveals much of its outcome early, making it more of a cautionary tale than an intense suspense. Incurable romantic Lorenz moves through the film trance like most of the way and such unabated gullibility wears Phantom down.

Their are a handful of lush tinted classic Murnau compositions that inform and a touch of misogyny that allows his female characters some lurid depth but for this cinema giant it is a sub par effort.

expressionistic descent into obsession

[lee_eisenberg · 9 September 2011]

Hot off his formidable achievement with "Nosferatu", F.W. Murnau made another expressionistic film, "Phantom". This one depicts Lorenz (Alfred Abel), a clerk who becomes obsessed with a woman (Lya De Putti) who accidentally struck him with a carriage. The movie contains some neat effects to highlight Lorenz's descent into madness. There are of course the buildings, but even more impressive is the ghostly carriage that emerges from a black void. A short documentary about the production makes note of how Murnau accomplished these interesting tricks.

One might call "Phantom" a precursor to "The Blue Angel" and "Lolita", but I wouldn't call that totally accurate. The latter two are more straightforward about their subject matter, while this one is deliberately surreal and dreamlike. But no matter how you interpret "Phantom", you can't deny that it is a very good representation of inter-war German cinema. The movie is a little slow at times, but definitely worth seeing.

I agree with Kitchent--this is a letdown

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 6 July 2008]

PHANTOM is a very heavy-handed morality tale of a simple man who inexplicably becomes infatuated with a woman after seeing her only briefly. Despite being a seemingly nice guy, he throws his life away and the film revels in this spiral as well as the parallel story of his sister who becomes a prostitute.

While the film on technical merits isn't bad (it did have some inventive camera work), it was a major letdown since it was directed by the legendary director F. W. Murnau. Had it been done by some studio hack, then I could understand why this film was so hokey and unbelievable--but from Murnau, his fans have come to expect so much more.

Unlike some reviews on IMDb, mine is a bit unusual in that I have now seen just about every known Murnau film in existence today (PHANTOM was the last) and so I can compare it to the body of his work. Clearly, it is the worst of his films and lacks the magic and genius that Murnau is known for having. You might be surprised to hear that although his most famous film is NOSFERATU, it may not be his best film--mostly because NOSFERATU, like PHANTOM, seems a tad old-fashioned and stilted--even for 1922. This can be forgiven in NOSFERATU because despite these lulls, the rest of the film is so transcendent and amazing--making it one of the greatest silent films of all time. There is nothing about PHANTOM that can make you overlook the very dated plot--it's just heavy-handed and not particularly memorable.

As I said, Murnau made some truly amazing films. Aside from NOSFERATU, he is most famous for the Oscar-winning SUNRISE, but neither of these is my favorite. I love and recommend you see FAUST because the camera work and artistry is just amazing--making Goethe's story a freshness and style that just have to be seen to believed. I also liked it because I (unfortunately) have read the very long book "Faust" and found the film actually made me like the story! THE LAST LAUGH and TARTUFF are also simply wonderful films that any serious student of German cinema must see.

So, my advice is to watch PHANTOM if you like, but if you aren't acquainted with F. W. Murnau's films, try any of the others first--otherwise you might not be able to detect his genius and deftness.

Interesting, if not great

[zetes · 7/10 · 19 June 2012]

Minor Murnau, but pretty good. He made this one right after Nosferatu. Alfred Abel (of Metropolis) stars as a man who lives along with his sister (Aud Egede Nissen) with their mother (Frida Richard). Abel falls for beautiful rich girl Lya De Putti, and then later with a gold digger who looks exactly like her (also played by De Putti). A bookstore owner convinces Abel that he is a great poet, and he borrows a bunch of money from his rich aunt, who thinks he'll soon be rich, to impress De Putti and help out his sister's criminal boyfriend. The story and acting are pretty good. The cinematic experiments are not as daring as they are in Nosferatu, but there are several impressive special effects peppered throughout the picture.

Excellent drama

[preppy-3 · 9/10 · 5 December 2004]

Silent German film about a meek, mild man who seems to have no life or goals. Then he meets a blond-haired girl riding a chariot. He immediately falls in love with her. It leads to his downfall ending in murder. But there is redemption.

This silent film was long believed to be lost. Thankfully it's been rediscovered which is great--this is a wonderful drama. My synopsis may sound a little strange but this is a hard film to describe--you have to see it to understand. It's beautifully directed by F.W. Muranu--many elaborate camera tricks and fade ins and outs. Also it deals with some touchy subjects such as prostitution (never called that but it's there). The acting is a little over the top but that's to be expected in silent movies. But there is a wonderful (if frightening) performance by Grete Berger as Mrs. Schwibe. My only complaint is that this film is shown in flashback which somewhat dilutes the drama (that's why I'm only giving it a 9). Still, this is a great silent film. It's not up to Muranu's "Nosferatu" or "Sunrise"--but then what is? Well worth seeing.

Mysterious phantom

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 12 March 2020]

FW Murnau was a fantastic director, all his films being extremely well made, rich in atmosphere and thematically intriguing and even daring in a way that is still quite unique and ground-breaking. It is not hard to see why his films influenced a lot of major directors, why he was one of the best and most influential directors in his day and it is sad that he didn't make more films and that he died too young. Even his lesser work is still worth seeing if mainly for historical interest.

Lost for a long time but rediscovered and available in a not too bad print, 'Phantom' is one of Murnau's minor films. It is nowhere near on the same level as 'Nosferatu', 'Faust', 'The Last Laugh' and 'Sunrise', people will say that it is unfair to compare and that it should stand on his own. Which is fair enough, but it is hard not to when his best work is as brilliant as it is and when some other films are still worth watching but a little bland at the same time.

'Phantom' is one of those cases. As said with a few others, the acting even for a silent film tends to be too theatrical and overdone. Was expecting more from Alfred Abel, good in other things but a bit miscast here. Not just in age but for my tastes he is too wild and comes over as borderline neurotic.

The story for 'Phantom' is somewhat too slight for the running time, feeling like an over-stretched short film. Less intertitles and ones that didn't slow the film down too much and it being less flashback heavy would have helped a bit. Lorenz's descent felt too rushed and out of nowhere, needing a lot more time to progress, that way it would have been easier to root for him.

Having said all of that, 'Phantom' is not a bad film despite how all of that sounds. It is beautifully directed by Murnau and as expected wonderfully made. Some very atmospheric and imaginative photography and quite transfixing imagery that allows one to provoke thought. Luckily doing so without being too heavy on it.

Appreciated too its use of themes not explored a lot in films those days and would be considered quite bold to portray. Some of the acting comes over well, with a great performance from Grete Berger that genuinely unsettles.

Summing up, worth uncovering but far from a Murnau essential. 6/10

expressionist "love story"

[veidt_ · 10/10 · 6 April 2004]

A much underestimated movie. I've seen several of Murnau's flicks, and while I am the generally a big fan of his work, this one is actually one of my favorites. In a dreamlike manner it tells a story of main character's obsession with a manipulative and cruel woman. His love and desire makes him lose his senses - to a point where object of his passion becomes like a haunting spectre, a phantom. In some way Phantom is a forecast of another german picture, the famous Blaue Engel. Although the plot in one way or another has become a Hollywood cliche over the years, the movie is dark, strange and compelling. Murnau's depiction of insanity, especially in the final scenes is by itself a milestone of cinema.

A Man with a Dream

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 3 July 2008]

Enjoyed this silent film from 1922 with great German directors and plenty of talented people. This story starts out with a family consisting of two brothers, sister and a mother who are not very well off and the sister hates her life and gets in a fight with her mother and she turns to the streets and the fast lane in life. Lorenz Lubota, (Alfred Abel) is one of the brothers who loves to read books and is also a poet and works as a clerk for the city. One day Lorenz was walking in the street and a blonde girl is driving a chariot and runs him down, the girl checks to see that he is okay but Lorenz immediately falls in love with this girl. After this event in Lorenz's life he completely goes crazy and his life changes for the worst and he gets involved with money that does not belong to him. Grete Berger gives a great supporting role as a pawnbroker, Schwabe. Enjoy

A Let Down....

[kitchent · 5/10 · 5 December 2004]

Maybe my expectations were too high for this film, but after catching it on tape from TCM's Silent Sunday feature, I felt let down. I expected the same genius from Murnau as Nosferatu and Sunrise. All of the cinematic elements are there, but it just felt incomplete.

The story revolves around a man obsessed with an unattainable woman, and his attempts to substitute for his unfulfilled desires.

My biggest issue with the film was with Alfred Abel as Lorenz in the lead. He was great in Metropolis in a totally different role, but here he looked too old for the part and out of place, not quite finding the firm ground to build the character. Other players were good especially Aud Egede Nissen as Lorenz's sister Melanie.

Worth a look for Murnau's style, but a let down overall.

Filming the imaginary

[hasosch · 10/10 · 27 February 2009]

If I remember correctly, it was Peter Greenaway who wrote a few years ago that in the near future one will be able to make films about how somebody thinks and not only about what somebody does. When this time will be here, one should remember F.W. Murnau's "Phantom" (1922) which does exactly what Greenaways was speaking about. Lorenz Lubota is a little scribe, likes books and would like to be a poet. One day, on his way to work, he is hit by a carriage. In this moment, he sees Veronika, the daughter of a rich merchant, and chases from now on her picture like a phantom. It fills up his whole thinking and feeling. He even goes to her parents' house in order to ask for her hand. After he is thrown out, he stops working, neglects his belongings and sinks deeper and deeper in despair. I cannot remember whether anyone else in the "silent" time has made more appropriate use of tinting in order to show the inside of a person than Murnau did. By chance, Lorenz meets Melitta who looks like a twin of Veronika. However, she cheats on him and demands money which he does not have. So he steals it and even lies to his aunt, whom he tells that he needs the money for having his poesies printed as books. Not long after, his aunts finds out about the truth and threatens to turn him in to the police. So, one night, Lorenz and one of his new colleagues break into the house of the aunt. When they are caught by her, the colleague kills her. Lorenz goes to prison as an accessory. When he is released, the daughter of his former boss waits for him, telling him that she always loved him. Besides the unrealistic and rather fairy-tale-like end, this movie shows many motives that Murnau would use in the subsequent year when he shot "Nosferatu". One could say that in "Phantom", he filmed the imaginary world, whereas in "Nosferatu", he projected this imaginary world as a substrate of abyss-less gore into the outside world. However, one could also say that Lorenz, at the end, is rightfully awarded by a loving wife because he belonged to the very few people who really believed in a phantom and even gave up his whole existence for it. And simply the fact that a phantom can exist in our real brain proves its reality, isn't that so?

The Phantom Appears After So Many Years

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 10 October 2010]

That F.W. Murnau's long gone "Phantom" was "reconstructed and restored in 2003" from a print held in Berlin's Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv is a cause for celebration - this, along with the more recent announcement of 75 "lost" films turning up in a New Zealand archive, suggests "lost" works will continue to trickle out of archives and attics for the foreseeable future. The reconstructed "Phantom" is very well done; it's obvious they were working from a very satisfying print of the film, as there is little of the deterioration you expect in these old films. They've avoided temptation to enhance the coloring, and tinted the nicely preserved original film in original hues, inserted new intertitles, and added an appropriate Robert Israel score.

Our story begins in then "present" day Germany, with protagonist Alfred Abel (as Lorenz Lubota) and Lil Dagover (as Marie Starke) living in a "happily ever after" home (which dampens much of the coming tension). Wife Dagover lovingly urges Mr. Abel to write the story of his former life. The couple hopes this will help ease ex-convict Abel's painful memories. Then, we have the flashback… and, the problems begin… Some time ago, Abel is a respected, but lowly city clerk. He lives with haggish old mother Frida Richard, whorish sister Aud Egede Nissen (as Melanie), and dour brother Hans Heinrich von Twardowski (as Hugo).

The introduction of the "little brother" points out another of the film's structural flaws. You expect, since we have a big, obvious "flashback" that the younger man is the younger "Lorenz" - but, this revealed not to be the case when Abel is called to the breakfast table, looking older than he did before the flashback. An unaccredited co-writer, Mr. Twardowski is not on screen much of the time; but, he seems capable, and it might have been a better idea to have him play the main role. Or, they could have dispensed with the opening and have Abel play "Lorenz" as a middle-aged, angst-ridden character. Which, he may be…

As it turns out, Abel gets hit by a coach pulled by pretty white horses. Suffering little physical harm, he becomes infatuated with the inhabitant of the carriage, lovely Lya de Putti (as Veronika Harlan). An aspiring poet, Abel becomes involved in a money-lending scheme based on his verse becoming successfully published. Alas, Abel's poems turn out to be worthless, and he ends up in jail (as revealed in the opening sequence). Admittedly, there is some disappointment in "Phantom". This is my fifth Murnau film, and the first one I rate less than "9" on the IMDb scale. Still, it's an excellent piece, and worth the running time.

******* Phantom (11/13/22) F.W. Murnau ~ Alfred Abel, Lil Dagover, Frida Richard, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski

2 hours that lacked entertainment

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 10 March 2016]

"Phantom" is a German 2-hour film from almost 95 years ago directed by European silent film legend Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau/Plumpe. It is one of his longer films in terms of runtime, but not one of his most famous really. Admittedly, it is still somewhat known and also not one of his least famous works. But it's very mediocre for the most part. The actors include a couple solid names, but big stars are not included in the cast here and the story is not too convincing either. The genre is certainly something else compared to Murnau's films usually being about horror or mystery, so this is maybe the only reason that makes this film worth a watch. Sadly, the material is far from sufficient for a film that runs for 120 minutes.

Apart from that, it is the usual: black-and-white, silent and could have needed a lot more intertitles. It is based on a novel by Gerhart Hauptmann and the one who adapted it is Thea von Harbou, Fritz Lang's longtime collaborator. Sadly, all these big names did not result in a great or even good film. Actually, the outcome is very much forgettable from start to finish and that is why I give it a thumbs-down. Only worth checking out for the most hardcore silent film fans.

An errie drama, but not the best of Murnau's films

[junkySTL · 6 March 2001]

The story of a man Lorenz Lubota (played by Alfred Abel) who chases a woman Pfandleiherin Schwabe (Grete Berger) who keeps escaping him and is, virtually, like a phantom. This drama is not as potent as Murnau's other attempts at heart wrenching dramatic cinema (such as TABU and SUNRISE). Much like SUNRISE this film suffers from a running time that could, easily, be cut in half. There are not as many interesting elements in this story as, say, THE HAUNTED CASTLE or FAUST. But still it is worth a look for any of Murnau's dedicated fans. It includes Murnau's usually study of human suffering and torment, and his supernatural imagery (a ghostly horse carriage, and a leaning city- much like Weine's CAL

Phantom review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 29 June 2020]

A tale of obsession in which an aspiring poet becomes infatuated with an unattainable young woman who accidentally knocks him down in her carriage, and is then bled dry by her gold-digging doppelganger. The parallels with Vertigo are apparent, but Murnau's first film after Nosferatu is a much more straightforward affair. A very watchable film, but Alfred Abel is far too old for the lead role and his character is such a wet blanket that it's difficult to care about him. Some nice expressive shots from Murnau, but not one of his classics.

Non-linear story with different plotlines that converge

[creatorvani · 7/10 · 21 March 2021]

'Phantom' was directed by F.W. Murnau in 1922 during the German Expressionism.

The cinematography is beautiful in this - the way Murnau plays with light and shadows is pleasing to the eye. The set design makes you feel everything so deeply. The clothes makes you like as if you're there with the characters.

An Art Film, without a doubt, about a young man, Lorenz (Alfred Abel) who strives to be a poet but one day notices a woman, Veronika (Lay De Putti) eventually becoming obsessed with her and yearns to find her again, slowly becoming insane.

It's based on the Novel by Gerhart Hauptmann - Thea Von Harbou adapted it for the screen.

The story is insanely entertaining - because it is a non-linear story with different plot lines. We follow Lorenz: the man who changes into a lovestruck maniac from day 1, we follow his sister Melanie (Aud Egede-Nissen) who leaves her house because of the poor household, and we follow Marie Starke (Lil Dagover) who is in love with Lorenz and helps him regain his sanity.

The whole plot begins with Lorenz writing this story down and ends as he finishes writing it - the whole film is a Flashback, similar to 'Dr. Caligari'. We see Lorenz and Marie at the beginning together, so the viewer knows Lorenz won't have a happy ending with Veronika. The fantasy element of this is that we never truly know whether Veronika is real or not.

Lorenz is a wreck by the end of the movie - the actor did a good job. You want to shake his shoulders to wake him up but luckily Marie does this instead of you.

Marie is lovable and very refreshing to see whenever she appears on screen, however, the best character for me was Melanie, Lorenz's sister.

Melanie is enjoyable to watch - the way she wants to live a life with joy but also support her brother is a delight. The schemes they do are downright a delight.

The movie doesn't get a 5 star from me because the money storyline didn't really make me feel much towards Lorenz. The ending shot however, with him walking to prison, is stunning. As stunning as the ending-ending shot with the tree, Marie and Lorenz.

Murnau uses incredibly famous actors and actresses in this one. Lya De Putti (Der brennende Acker/Gerda), Alfred Abel (Metropolis/Johann), Hans Heinrich von Twardowksi and Lil Dagover (Dr. Caligari/Alan and Jane) - all of them are diamonds when it comes to acting.

Overall a good film, not as popular as the others, but I recommend watching it because it's enjoyable :3

Wow! Was Lorenz not the biggest whiner in cinema history?

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 8 November 2015]

I have to say, from the film's opening I am confused on some of the details. If you took out that confusion factor, I'd give this a nine, because it is a deep haunting tale, almost a noir, except twenty years before noir's inception. What movies could we have had to look back on if F.W. Murnau had lived into the 1940's and experimented with noir as Fritz Lang did?

Lorenz Lubota (Alfred Abel) is a city clerk doing a boring menial job. He escapes by writing poetry. He has a younger brother who barely figures into the plot and goes to art school. He has a younger sister who is a party girl who dabbles in prostitution. His mother loves her children, but her bitterness is so deep it is almost contagious. She is bitter over her poverty (this can't do much for Lorenz' self esteem since he is the provider for the entire family) and bitter about her estranged sister's success as a pawnbroker with no mercy who has accumulated great wealth from her profession.

Lorenz is loved in secret by Marie, the daughter of the owner of the local bookstore. She thinks he is creative, deep, and a very honest man. Why is Lorenz so honest? Because he has never been tempted! Because at his first encounter with something really tempting his moral code collapses completely. His bout with fate begins when he is run down in the street by a team of horses pulling a carriage driven by the beautiful and wealthy Veronika Harlan. Lorenz is unharmed, but he returns to consciousness with Veronika holding his head in her hands, and he is instantly infatuated.

His lust is awakened by looking into the face of the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, and his pride is awakened when he is told by Marie's father that his poetry is genius according to a visiting publisher (the publisher turns out to be wrong). When Lorenz realizes he has no chance with the actual Veronika he settles for a look-alike gold digger that he meets in a tavern. The problem? He has no gold for her to dig since he has lost his job as city clerk due to his absences, presence in taverns, and hanging about the front entrance of the Harlan home. Apparently doing a low paying menial civil service job in 1922 Germany required the dullest of home lives.

Lorenz soon learns that his poetry is worthless, although this scene is missing from the movie. His solution? A stronger willed criminal minded fellow convinces Lorenz first to commit fraud to keep his gold digging girlfriend, and when Lorenz is found out, he is convinced by the very same fellow to commit robbery to cover up the original fraud. When the midnight robbery goes awry, he just lies down and covers his head to not see his more violent companion murdering the would-be robbery victim, who just happens to be his own aunt! He doesn't try to stop him at all.

Now here is where the film loses me. Lorenz has committed fraud, robbery, and been an accomplice to murder, but apparently spends only a short time in prison because he is still young looking when he gets out. That's a very short sentence! In the U.S. at the time he would have gotten a very short rope for the same crimes. Marie and her dad are waiting for him and drive him to a nice house in the country and tell him "This is your new home". Where did this home come from? If he had the kind of money to buy such a home why was his entire family living in a crowded run down apartment before he went to jail? Lorenz calls Marie his "beloved wife" at the beginning of the film - this entire story is told in flashback - so Marie, knowing that Lorenz is really a weak wimpy guy who is capable of giving in to the worst criminal impulses when influenced by a stronger personality, married him also knowing she wasn't his first OR second choice? What happens the next time he has a random encounter with a beautiful woman? Maybe they are both weak and wimpy and are thus made for each other, but that is not what the hopeful feeling with which this movie ends seems to imply.

Maybe the most puzzling and unexplained part of the movie is the very beginning. Before we even get to Lorenz writing down this story in a book and thus the flashback tale, there is an image first of an Albert Einstein look-alike walking in the country alone, then a Thomas Edison look-alike also walking in the country alone. No explanation. Then cut to Lorenz looking wistfully out his kitchen window. I don't know. Maybe Murnau was trying to say "geniuses often walk alone, but that doesn't mean that someone who walks alone (Lorenz) is necessarily a genius"??

I'll tell you one thing of which this film convinced me - Alfred Abel was a great actor. I was completely convinced he was a tower of jello in this film, and in 1927's Metropolis I was completely convinced he was cold deliberate industrialist capable of sentencing his right hand man to the closest thing there was to hell on earth. Catch this silent film if you can, even if you are not a big fan of the silents I think you'll find it fascinating.

A Moral Tale

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 24 January 2018]

This is a typical silent tale of greed and stupidity. The principle character, with whom we are supposed to empathize, has his head firmly planted in the clouds. He gets run over and fall in love with the woman who hit him. He becomes obsessed with an image and goes on to do a series of idiotic things. He assumes that what is said to him is the truth. An innocent gets some sympathy, but when the fog lifts, he can't expect a lot of sympathy. The film is nicely crafted and works fine, but I just couldn't get over the rashness of the guy.

A Beautiful Film

[ladymidath · 10/10 · 2 March 2024]

F. W. Murnau was one of the clear to see why. While not quite up to the standard Of Nosferatu, this is still a visual treat The expressionist style and way the film tells its story is something rarely seen in modern movies these day. It has real soul.

This tale of love and obsession is a small one, but an involving one, like Shattered and Master Of The House.

The cast is an excellent one and they are wonderful in this.

While it is not a powerhouse like Metropolis, or brooding like Der Mude Tod, it is still worth watching to see a master filmmaker like Murnau spin a beautiful celluloid tale.

This film like so many movies from this period was thought to be lost, but has now been restored.

Not up to Sunrise

[bernebner · 3 July 2002]

The print that I rented is of very poor quality. Additonally, I did not realize that not only was there not a musical soundtrack, but subtitles were in German. You can spot the Murnau talent there but I don't call this essential viewing.