Credited cast: | |||
Alexander Granach | ... |
Shadowplayer
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Max Gülstorff | ... |
2. Kavalier
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Lilli Herder | ... |
Dienstmaedchen
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Rudolf Klein-Rogge |
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Fritz Kortner | ... |
The count
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Karl Platen | ... |
2. Diener
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Fritz Rasp | ... |
Diener
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Eugen Rex | ... |
A servant
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Ferdinand von Alten | ... |
3. Kavalier
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Gustav von Wangenheim | ... |
Her lover
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Ruth Weyher | ... |
His wife
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During a dinner, given by a wealthy baron and his wive, attended by four of her suitors in a 19th century German manor, a shadow-player rescues the marriage by giving all the guests a vision what might happen tonight if the baron stays jealous and the suitors do not reduce their advances towards his beautiful wife. Or was it a vision? Written by Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
This is an unusual, very different sort of film, completely visual as it has no intertitles, in keeping with the original German version. About a man who is full of anxiety (his eyes continually popping out in jealous rages) over the attentions his woman has been paying to a handsome youth and several other male admirers (meanwhile, though she likes to flirt, she actually seems more interested in gazing at herself and posing in front of mirrors). The action all takes place at a house dinner party one evening, where our beautiful and alluring peacock lady is busy enticing the man, the youth, and three gentlemen, then all are "entertained" by a strange traveling entertainer and his shadow puppet play, who causes all to hallucinate a vision of "things to come".
This film is very interestingly photographed, full of sharp shadows against brightly lit walls that set some of the action, plus lavish period costuming and well-draped sets that look like they belong on a stage. The action is mostly slow and dreamlike, a bit too slow at times as this drags just a little through parts. Still, very interesting to see. The print on the DVD, tinted in sepia/yellow, pink, and bright lavender tones, looks quite nice. The music score is excellent and suits this very odd silent film quite well.