Dødsspring til hest fra cirkuskuplen (1912)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Eduard Schnedler-Sørensen

Writer:

Alfred Kjerulf (writer)

Release Date:

23 August 1913 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Drama

Cast

Frederik Christensen	...	Sagfører
Aage Hertel	...	Cirkusdirektør Winge
Alma Hinding
Frederik Jacobsen	...	Gamle John - tjener hos greven
Agnes Lorentzen
Axel Mattson	...	Cirkusrytter
Lauritz Olsen	...	Værtshusgæst
Valdemar Psilander	...	Grev Willy von Rosenörn
Ellen Ræder	...	Skolerytterske Mlle Doré
Jenny Roelsgaard	...	Danserinden Miss Evelyn
Valda Valkyrien

Also Known As:

The Great Circus Catastrophe (Europe: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

45 min

Country:

Denmark

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Nordisk Film

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dödsritten under cirkuskupolen (1912)

Sensational

Denmark's premiere actor of the day, Valdemar Psilander, stars in this early sensational picture--a fine example of one of the more popular types of films made during the height of Denmark's film industry (Nordisk primarily being that industry). Films became longer, darker (in themes and lighting), and more sensational, influencing especially the great periods in Swedish and German cinéma. Sensational films are said to have begun with 'Den hvide slavehandel' ('The White Slave Trade') of 1910. Another example is Urban Gad's 'The Abyss' released the same year. Their story-lines are lurid, often sexual, with exciting action and all that superficially intriguing jazz. In this film, as was common, there is little attention given to story or plot. Of what story there is serves merely to loosely connect sensational episodes such as an escape from a burning hotel, a liaison with a promiscuous woman and a dangerous circus act with a horse.

It doesn't have the sort of desired effect anymore; I wasn't thrilled, enthralled or shocked. I wasn't expecting to be, of course; this film is now a relic. The filming of a few scenes is interesting. There is one scene with low-key lighting (the cheating scene). As well, the rather quick editing in the fire scene is rather unusual, appropriately, and perhaps unavoidably, diverging from the general practice of long takes. Viewing this film within the context of film history, I was, at least, not bored.