Die Büchse der Pandora (1929)

Directed by G. W. Pabst. Starring Louise Brooks, Francis Lederer, Fritz Kortner, Carl Goetz, Alice Roberts, Krafft-Raschig, Gustav Diessl, Daisy D’ora, Michael von Newlinsky.

An unscrupulous and promiscuous young Berlin flapper named Lulu (Brooks) seduces men and women at every turn, but her rapacious sexual freedom leads to dire consequences for many of those involved, including herself. A striking and stylish drama—but not one of the Weimar German silents where style overwhelms substance—with arguably the definitive performance from Roaring Twenties icon Brooks, a bob-and-brazen-attitude combo that no doubt inspired many a sultry, dangerous femme de mystique to come: Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Velma Kelly, Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace, etc. Most of Brooks’ co-stars aren’t up to her challenge (Goetz being the lone exception), so it’s no wonder she rampages through them so easily, and the viewer’s indifference to their fates leaves a hole in the middle of this otherwise compelling film. The climax, however, is a stunner. Due to its scandalous nature (including what may be the screen’s first unabashed lesbian character) and difficulty in selling a silent film in the germinating era of talkies, the original cut was slashed to ribbons in a series of truncated edits for international release, and even added a happy ending for the version screened in New York where Lulu ultimately joins the Salvation Army! English-language title: Pandora’s Box.

81/100