Stummfilmtage Bonn 2015 impressions

[Arndt]

Another Bonn silent film festival is over and I'm finally finding time to write down my impressions. I really enjoyed the Stummfilmtage this year. I met old friends and made new ones, we had wonderful guests staying over and the selection of films was also not to be sniffed at. The weather was good for most of the time and so was the atmosphere at the screenings. I had plenty of falafel, ice cream and rhubarb spritzer.

[Arndt]

The first night started with THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY. Unfortunately this did not contain the newly discovered footage. As bad luck would have it Stefan Drößler, head of Munich film museum and organizer of the Bonn silent film festival, had put together a version of the film just before that discovery was made. In his introduction he was understandably a bit thin-lipped about it, saying that all that had been found were four more minutes of pie-throwing. Sure, but is that not what the film is about?
The first night's feature was the newly restored VARIÉTÉ, fortunately minus the atrocious soundtrack from the bluray. Instead veteran Günter Buchwald accompanied this film on piano and violin with help from Frank Bockius on percussion. This is a very enjoyable and impressive film. On the one hand it is one of those very intense Jannings character studies, like DER LETZTE MANN, DER BLAUE ENGEL and THE LAST COMMAND. Jannings plays a simple man with a big heart, who is ruled by instinct more than by reason. It is amazing how expressive the man's back can be. On the other hand it is a tour de force by cameraman Karl Freund, who once more gets to unchain his camera and let it swing from the trapeze. One of the true classics of Weimar cinema, and beautifully and effectively accompanied.

[Arndt]

The second night began with the crowd-pleaser THE KID and the university quadrangle was filled to its 1500 plus capacity. Richard Siedhoff accompanied wonderfully, as always.
Next there were six Méliès shorts. They were all hand-coloured and those colours had been wonderfully preserved when the films were digitized. Unfortunately the festival had brought back local man about town Norbert Alich to add his "hilarious" comments. It is hard enough to sit through so many Méliès films in a row as it is, without handing the microphone over to some self-important windbag.

[Arndt]

The third night started with the Russian film CINY I LJUDI from 1929. This Protazanov comedy consists of three episodes, all taken from Chekhov short stories. I had given the film a miss at Pordenone as it was late in the week and early in the morning (if I recall correctly), but I was very glad to catch it here. It was one of the highlights of the Bonn festival for me. This is a wonderful film: funny, visually impressive and - thanks to its pre-revolutionary setting - devoid of socialist propaganda. It is so well-crafted that it is a joy to watch. The camera lingers on faces and scenes and plenty of room is given to contemplation of the interior workings of the characters' minds. This required some excellent actors (check!) and an equally excellent accompanist. Once again Richard Siedhoff outshone himself at a difficult task.
I had been looking forward a lot more to the second film of the night, Frank Capra's THE WAY OF THE STRONG from 1928, but I found it a disappointment. This 60-minute gangster film is little more than a less subtle copy of Sternberg's UNDERWORLD, unfortunately minus that film's visual brilliance and complex characterization.

[Arndt]

Sunday night began with a mercifully short Greek comedy: OI PERIPETEIES TOU VILLAR, in which the title character, an ineffective blend of American film comedians of the time, bumbles his way through 1920s Athens.
I had really been looking forward to the feature: LA PROIE DU VENT, a René Clair film from 1927 that I had never heard of. I really like Monsieur Clair's silent comedies, but this was a mystery thriller à la Hitchcock and it soon became obvious that this was not the director's genre. I felt this was a failed film. The individual parts did not gel, there was no suspense, the mystery was resolved through lengthy explanations but mostly it just dragged relentlessly. Neil Brand and Günter Buchwald did their best but could not save this stinker.

[Arndt]

I missed two nights due to a rainstorm and fatigue and went back on Wednesday to see the Czech film POHADKA MAJE from 1926. This was a strong and very impressive family saga that reminded me of D.W.Griffith's rural comedies. A beautiful film with very entertaining set pieces, like the scenes in a Prague beer hall.

[Arndt]

Thursday night began with the German comedy DOKTOR SATANSOHN from 1916. Ernst Lubitsch does not direct but instead plays the title character, the devil who tempts a middle-aged woman into rejuvenating herself by taking over her daughter's looks and life. This is a silly but very entertaining romp. Lubitsch very obviously loves playing Old Nick and Yo Larte as the female romantic lead performs a highly titillating belly dance.
This was followed by the Swedish film NORRTULLSLIGAN from 1923. This wonderful and unusual film follows the fates of a group of female clerks who share a flat in Stockholm. The wry humour of the titles and intelligent portrayal of the main character by Tora (EROTIKON) Teje gave it a surprisingly modern feel and made it a real delight to watch. Stephen Horne accompanied both films and contributed substantially to my enjoyment.

[Arndt]

On Friday it was time for a Chinese silent. After last year's SHEN NU another film with the wonderful Ruan Ling-Yu was scheduled: LIAN AI YU YI WU from 1931. It follows the story of a woman who breaks out from an unhappy marriage to be with her childhood sweetheart. When he dies she has to bring their daughter up by herself in a society that shuns the divorced single mother. This is a wonderful film, highly emotional, effectively and beautifully filmed. Ruan Ling-Yu milks the story for all it's worth in true Lilian Gish style.
Joachim Bärenz is another Bonn veteran. His accompaniment of this film was absolutely outstanding. Apparently it was being recorded for a DVD publication. Hooray!

[oldposterho]

Unfortunately the festival had brought back local man about town Norbert Alich to add his "hilarious" comments.

Ugh, that would be painful. The equivalent of sitting next to some dope yapping on their mobile phone throughout a film. Seems odd that the organizers would have so little faith in their audience (and Melies) that they felt the need to tart things up.

Thanks for the reviews, much appreciated since I have a limited hope of ever attending.

[Brent]

Thanks from me too for the reviews Arndt. Some friends and I plan to attend for the first time next year.