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Michael (1924) *** (out of 4) German silent about an aging master painter (Benjamin Christensen) who takes a male model and wannabe painter (Walter Slezak) under his wings but soon their relationship begins to crumble when both men meet the Princess Zamikoff (Nora Gregor). This here was one of the director's lesser seen films but over the past decade or so it has become quite popular for being an early example of a homosexual relationship. Some could debate that the film isn't about homosexuality and I somewhat agree with his stance but I also see why some might think there was more to the two men's relationship. Either way, over the years I really haven't been too much of a fan of Dreyer's and I found this film much like the rest of his work. The biggest problem I had with this film as well as others from the director is that I never really get caught up in the stories. The stories always take second billing to the wonderful visual style and cinematography, which some might love but I'd also like to have a better story mixed in. Even with that said the movie is still worth watching due to the cinematography by Rudolph Mate and Karl Freund. Freund handled all the interior shots and these are the most impressive of the film. The sets are very beautiful and the film follows that German Expressionist mood perfectly. Christensen, director of the masterpiece Haxan, delivers a very strong performance and this is easy to spot towards the end of the film. I won't ruin the ending but Christensen's performance perfectly nails every moment. Slezak is also very good but I didn't care too much for Gregor.
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