Fritz Lang: Early Works coming from Kino

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Rollo Treadway
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Fritz Lang: Early Works coming from Kino

Post by Rollo Treadway » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:00 pm

Amazon announces a 3-DVD set featuring Harakiri (aka Madame Butterfly, 1919), Das wandernde Bild (The Wandering Shadow, 1920) and Vier um die Frau (Four Around a Woman, 1921) for release on Nov. 6.

Thanks to the all-seeing, all-knowing Clore for the heads-up.

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HARAKIRI (aka Madame Butterfly) (1919): O-Take-San (Lil Dagover) is a beautiful young woman pursued by an evil Buddhist monk (Georg John) who wants to make her one of his many geishas. She has an affair with the Danish officer Niels Prien (Olaf J. Anderson) who leaves her alone and pregnant. O-Take-San considers ritualistic suicide when she is abandoned in this tragic melodrama directed by Fritz Lang (Metropolis).

THE WANDERING SHADOW (aka The Moving Image or The Wandering Image) (1920): After the death of his brother George, John Vanderheit expects to inherit his fortune. Unfortunately, just before he died, Georg made a will in which he bequeathed his entire estate to his wife, Irmgard. Unwilling to yield to John, she escapes and undertakes a hazardous journey into the mountains where she meets a kindly hermit who offers her shelter. John is not far behind, however, and when Imrgard repulses him he causes an avalanche in an attempt to kill her. Trapped in the hermit's shelter, she discovers a truth that will change their lives forever.

FOUR AROUND A WOMAN (1921): In search of an expensive present for his wife Florence, wealthy stockbroker Harry Yquem visits a shady jewel market frequented by crooks and other undesirables. Here, he sees a man whom he recognizes from a photograph in his wife's possession. Suspecting that the man, William Krafft, is his wife's lover, Yquem follows him to the hotel where he is staying. He writes a letter in his wife's handwriting inviting Krafft to his house so that he can confront him and extract a confession. What Yquem does not know is that Krafft has a twin brother, Werner, who has just returned to town with the intention of renewing an old love affair with Florence. Another man, Meunier, knows the truth of Florence's past indiscretions and intends to exploit this for his own gain.

Big Silent Fan
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Re: Fritz Lang: Early Works coming from Kino

Post by Big Silent Fan » Thu Oct 04, 2012 12:28 pm

HARAKIRI is an interesting film indeed with a nice Oriental touch. My copy has Dutch titles (with French subtitles when it was shown on ARTE), but it's the familiar Madame Butterfly so there was little confusion. I did get some help translating the two written letters in the film (from the Emperor to the Priest), but even that wasn't really a mystery (so nice to have met multi-lingual friends in the group). KINO of course would have it all in English.

The sets and dress of the players seemed very authentic.

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Rollo Treadway
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Re: Fritz Lang: Early Works coming from Kino

Post by Rollo Treadway » Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:51 pm

Big Silent Fan wrote:KINO of course would have it all in English.
We shall see what we shall see, but since the cover says "Authorized and restored by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung", I assume these versions will be German language with optional English titles.

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Harlett O'Dowd
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Re: Fritz Lang: Early Works coming from Kino

Post by Harlett O'Dowd » Thu Oct 04, 2012 2:57 pm

drool

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Javier
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Re: Fritz Lang: Early Works coming from Kino

Post by Javier » Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:26 pm

Harlett O'Dowd wrote:drool
I am with you on that,( kissing my VHS copies) Get to rest my children.
"it's a Kafka high, you feel like a bug"

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Ann Harding
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Re: Fritz Lang: Early Works coming from Kino

Post by Ann Harding » Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:10 am

All three films were broadcast on France 3 last year. I must admit I wasn't altogether impressed with either. Harakiri lacks desperately a real 'human touch' so to speak. And even Lil Dagover failed to move me. I found the acting OTT as well. The films made by Sessue Hayakawa in the US at the same time are far more authentic in feeling and atmosphere. Harakiri only survived as Dutch print, so I doubt you'll get the original German language titles (unless they have survived in the censors files?). Das wandernde Bild contains some interesting sequences, but is incomplete. As for Vier um die Frau, it bored me so much that I have hardly any memory of it... That said, if you are a Lang fan, it's a must-have for you.

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