The early 21st century has witnessed increasing debate about the world's energy resources; the production, control and distribution of oil and electricity carries not only political and financial implications, but ethical ones as well. Hans Werckmeister's ALGOL, made shortly after the first World War, when coal shortages and rising energy costs were crippling the already hard-hit Weimar Republic (Germany), is a mirror of contemporary concerns surrounding the technology of the modern age.
The alien-demon Algol's "gift" to Robert Herne, the hard-working coal-miner (played by Emil Jannings), is the secret to building a perpetual energy source powerful enough to light the whole world. Yet Robert Herne ultimately is seduced by the power this device brings him as the "ruler of the world", and refuses to surrender the secrets of the machine for the good of mankind. Robert's ideological counterpart is Maria (Hanna Ralph), his one-time girlfriend and co-worker in the coal mine, who disapproves of his greed and retreats to a neighboring agrarian country to live off the land. This contrast between industrialized modernity (typically represented by decadent, stylized Expressionist sets) and traditional agrarian society (represented by naturalism, scenes shot outdoors, and use of realistic sets) is a striking aspect of Werckmeister's film. The construction of the narrative (consisting of a prologue and four acts) is carefully balanced, with effective character development. Direction, photography, and performances are all uniformly excellent. The (perhaps too abrupt) ending brings about an epiphany for Robert Herne, who comments ironically on his fate.
The alien-demon Algol's "gift" to Robert Herne, the hard-working coal-miner (played by Emil Jannings), is the secret to building a perpetual energy source powerful enough to light the whole world. Yet Robert Herne ultimately is seduced by the power this device brings him as the "ruler of the world", and refuses to surrender the secrets of the machine for the good of mankind. Robert's ideological counterpart is Maria (Hanna Ralph), his one-time girlfriend and co-worker in the coal mine, who disapproves of his greed and retreats to a neighboring agrarian country to live off the land. This contrast between industrialized modernity (typically represented by decadent, stylized Expressionist sets) and traditional agrarian society (represented by naturalism, scenes shot outdoors, and use of realistic sets) is a striking aspect of Werckmeister's film. The construction of the narrative (consisting of a prologue and four acts) is carefully balanced, with effective character development. Direction, photography, and performances are all uniformly excellent. The (perhaps too abrupt) ending brings about an epiphany for Robert Herne, who comments ironically on his fate.