Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Product Description
Two Films by F.W. Murnau. After filming the landmark Nosferatu, the silent cinema's master innovator F. W. Murnau demonstrated the reach of his genre versatility with a pair of films that explored the dimensions of the psychodrama and the adventure-programmer. All the Murnau characteristics are present: a vibrant naturalism, exquisite imagery, passages of dreamlike revery, and an atmosphere redolent with romantic longing. In Phantom, an aspiring poet on the verge of what he takes for a big break experiences a chance encounter with a beautiful woman in the street and falls headlong into love and fantasy. With debts piling up and his promised literary celebrity failing to materialise, the poet descends into obsession, deception, and, ultimately, a criminal act in this delirious film that stands as an early precursor of Hitchcock's Vertigo. Die Finanzen des Grossherzogs sees Murnau exploiting the Mediterranean clime to film the tale of a rakish duke whose lifestyle has dried up his noble coffers. When word arrives about the existence of valuable sulphur deposits on his tiny duchy of Abacco, a comic adventure of high-seas intrigue, 'animal impersonators', and the Crown Princess of Russia unreels at a sprightly pace. Max Schreck (the mythic actor behind the makeup of Nosferatu's Count Orlok two years earlier) appears in a supporting role, in what might be Murnau's nimblest effort. ----SPECIAL TWO-DISC EDITION including: *The most recent film restorations, licenced from the F.W. Murnau Stiftung, Germany. *Original German-language intertitles with newly translated optional English-language subtitles. *Audio commentary by film-scholar David Kalat on Die Finanzen des Grossherzogs. *A lengthy booklet containing a new essay on both films by professor and film-scholar Janet Bergstrom and more!
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
This is an excellent restoration set from The Masters of Cinema Series and comprises of two early F.W. Murnau films made between the greater works of Nosferatu and The last Man.
Of the two I think the better film is Phantom. It's presented here in a beautiful looking tinted restoration and stars Alfred Abel. Yes, he's a bit of a plank, as you will know if you've seen him in Metropolis, but he fairs a little better here, although he looks way too old to play the character of a young man.
Taken from a novel, the film scenario is written by Thea Von Harbou, obviously having a day off from Fritz Lang, the story concerns a kind of doppelganger love affair. Lorenz, played by Abel, a budding poet falls for a lovely girl who knocks him down with her carriage. The family is very grand and his advances are rebuffed with extreme prejudice. In a delirium of love sick depression he is further reduced by a scam involving a double of the object of his desire. Both girls are played by Lya De Putti. His whole life descends into madness and criminality with final redemptive love coming in the form of the gorgeous Lil Dagover, who's been waiting for him all this time.
It's a beautifully designed and executed film, as one would expect from Murnau, with some good performances, I particularly like Frieda Richard as the mother, but also evident is his overly saccharine portrayal of heterosexual love. Although the super-impositions look rather antiquated these days, there are some excellent expressionist influenced visual effects, particularly when Lorenz becomes deranged.
So, while Phantom is not in the top order of Murnau's work there's still much to admire and enjoy. On the other-hand the package comes with 'The Finances of The Grand Duke'; an entertaining comedy which comes as something of a surprise to those only familiar with the more sombre, more familiar later works. The quality of the restored material seems more variable than with Phantom, but the extensive exterior locations are interesting to see, given that in future films like Faust and Sunrise he would create landscapes and cities in the studio. Again, this stars Alfred Abel and the great revelation is that he's really good and gives a lively comic performance. Also, Max Schreck, Nosferatu himself, plays a small role as a crazy little character.
All in all, if you're a devotee of Murnau, then these films need to be seen, and here are versions that are the best you're going to see.
Of the two I think the better film is Phantom. It's presented here in a beautiful looking tinted restoration and stars Alfred Abel. Yes, he's a bit of a plank, as you will know if you've seen him in Metropolis, but he fairs a little better here, although he looks way too old to play the character of a young man.
Taken from a novel, the film scenario is written by Thea Von Harbou, obviously having a day off from Fritz Lang, the story concerns a kind of doppelganger love affair. Lorenz, played by Abel, a budding poet falls for a lovely girl who knocks him down with her carriage. The family is very grand and his advances are rebuffed with extreme prejudice. In a delirium of love sick depression he is further reduced by a scam involving a double of the object of his desire. Both girls are played by Lya De Putti. His whole life descends into madness and criminality with final redemptive love coming in the form of the gorgeous Lil Dagover, who's been waiting for him all this time.
It's a beautifully designed and executed film, as one would expect from Murnau, with some good performances, I particularly like Frieda Richard as the mother, but also evident is his overly saccharine portrayal of heterosexual love. Although the super-impositions look rather antiquated these days, there are some excellent expressionist influenced visual effects, particularly when Lorenz becomes deranged.
So, while Phantom is not in the top order of Murnau's work there's still much to admire and enjoy. On the other-hand the package comes with 'The Finances of The Grand Duke'; an entertaining comedy which comes as something of a surprise to those only familiar with the more sombre, more familiar later works. The quality of the restored material seems more variable than with Phantom, but the extensive exterior locations are interesting to see, given that in future films like Faust and Sunrise he would create landscapes and cities in the studio. Again, this stars Alfred Abel and the great revelation is that he's really good and gives a lively comic performance. Also, Max Schreck, Nosferatu himself, plays a small role as a crazy little character.
All in all, if you're a devotee of Murnau, then these films need to be seen, and here are versions that are the best you're going to see.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
This review is only for "Phantom".
Another masterpiece from Murnau. Taken from a book by Gerhart Hauptmann, the script could be from one of the tales from E.T.A.Hoffmann. One simple and romantic man falls in love, obsession and madness after a random and accidental encounter with a young girl. He can't escape from his ideal images created in his brain. He tries, but he can't. With Alfred Abel, Lya De Putti and Lil Dagover, amongst others. Veronika is the ideal girl for Lorenz, like Esmeralda was for the Hunchback. But the destiny has the last word. If the final word from destiny is right or wrong depends on our own interpretation. Like in the real life.
Another masterpiece from Murnau. Taken from a book by Gerhart Hauptmann, the script could be from one of the tales from E.T.A.Hoffmann. One simple and romantic man falls in love, obsession and madness after a random and accidental encounter with a young girl. He can't escape from his ideal images created in his brain. He tries, but he can't. With Alfred Abel, Lya De Putti and Lil Dagover, amongst others. Veronika is the ideal girl for Lorenz, like Esmeralda was for the Hunchback. But the destiny has the last word. If the final word from destiny is right or wrong depends on our own interpretation. Like in the real life.
9 of 15 people found the following review helpful
You can always trust the Masters of Cinema series; they clearly put their hearts into it. These two early Murnau films are now available in an easily enjoyed format, with restored titles and musical accompaniment. Highly recommended.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
