Pandora’s Box (1929) represents the first of two collaborations between one of Germany's great pre-war directors, G. W. Pabst, and one the cinema's most enduring silent film stars, Louise Brooks.
Together with Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), this first collaboration confirms Pabst’s artistry as one of the great directors of the silent period - as well as Brooks' stature as an “actress of brilliance, a luminescent personality and a beauty unparalleled in screen history.” So wrote Academy Award winner Kevin Brownlow in his 1968 book, The Parade’s Gone By.
Pandora’s Box will be shown on Thursday, September 2 at 6:30pm at the Tivoli Cinema in Kansas City, Missouri. The screening is part of a “Silent Film Series” sponsored by the Tivoli Cinemas and the University of Missouri – Kansas City Department of Communication Studies.
The Tivoli Cinemas description of the event reads, “One of the masters of early German cinema, G. W. Pabst had an innate talent for discovering actresses (including Greta Garbo). And perhaps none of his stars shone brighter than Kansas native and onetime Ziegfeld girl Louise Brooks, whose legendary persona was defined by this lurid, controversial melodrama. Sensationally modern, the film follows the downward spiral of the fiery, brash, yet innocent showgirl whose sexual vivacity has a devastating effect on everyone she comes in contact with.”
Pandora’s Box tells the story of Lulu, a lovely and petulant show-girl whose flirtations have devastating results. The film is based on two turn-of-the-last-century plays by the German writer Frank Wedekind.
Lulu has been described as a femme fatale, but in fact, she is a kind of singular innocent. As one writer put it, her “sinless sexuality hypnotizes and destroys the weak, lustful men around her.” And not just men. Lulu’s sexual magnetism knows no bounds, as Pandora’s Box features what may be the screen’s first lesbian character.
At times, the Pabst directed film - heavily censored in its day and still incomplete - can seem like dark melodrama. In Pandora’s Box, Brooks’ nevertheless reveals her considerable gifts as an actress through an individualized interpretation of her otherwise archetypical character. Largely due to Brooks’ sensational performance, this more than 80 year old film enjoys its current stellar reputation. It is considered one of the masterpieces of the silent film era.
More info: The 1929 Louise Brooks film, Pandora’s Box, will be shown on Thursday, September 2 at 6:30pm at the Tivoli Cinema in Kansas City, Missouri All seats are $4.00 / free for UMKC Students / Staff with ID. Tickets are available day of show only at the Tivoli box office. Details at http://www.tivolikc.com/silentfilmseries.html
Thomas Gladysz is a longtime fan of Louise Brooks, so much so that in 1995 he founded the Louise Brooks Society, an internet-based archive and fan club devoted to the legendary silent film star. Gladysz has contributed to books on the actress, organized exhibits, appeared on television, and introduced her films around the country. Recently, he edited and wrote the introduction to the “Louise Brooks edition” of Margarete Bohme’s The Diary of a Lost Girl.
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