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Legong the Killer

Original title: Legong: Dance of the Virgins
  • 1935
  • Passed
  • 1h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
257
YOUR RATING
Legong the Killer (1935)
DramaRomance

In Bali, a young woman falls in love with a musician, but he may have eyes for her half-sister.In Bali, a young woman falls in love with a musician, but he may have eyes for her half-sister.In Bali, a young woman falls in love with a musician, but he may have eyes for her half-sister.

  • Director
    • Henri de la Falaise
  • Writers
    • Gaston Glass
    • Henri de la Falaise
  • Stars
    • Poetoe Aloes Goesti
    • Bagus Mara Goesti
    • Saplak Njoman
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    257
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Henri de la Falaise
    • Writers
      • Gaston Glass
      • Henri de la Falaise
    • Stars
      • Poetoe Aloes Goesti
      • Bagus Mara Goesti
      • Saplak Njoman
    • 14User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

    Legong the Killer (1935)
    Poetoe Aloes Goesti in Legong the Killer (1935)
    Legong the Killer (1935)
    Legong the Killer (1935)
    Legong the Killer (1935)

    Top cast

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    Poetoe Aloes Goesti
    • Poutou
    Bagus Mara Goesti
    • Gousti Bagus
    Saplak Njoman
    • Saplak
    Njong Njong Njoman
    • Nyong
    • Director
      • Henri de la Falaise
    • Writers
      • Gaston Glass
      • Henri de la Falaise
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      A musical score that combines Western and Balinese musical traditions was composed in 1999 by Richard Marriott and I Made Subandi. It has been performed live at screenings for the film at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival twice, in 1999 and 2013. In both cases, it was performed by joint musical groups Gamelan Sekar Jaya and The Club Foot Orchestra.
    • Connections
      Featured in Love Island (1952)

    User reviews14

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Fascinating Flaherty-style "documentary"
    Shot in Bali in 1933 with an all Balinese cast, Legong adopts the Flaherty technique of grafting a fictional storyline onto what is essentially a documentary film, much in the style of Nanook of the North and Moana. Photographed in two-strip Technicolor, the film is far more valuable as an ethnographic document of life in Bali in the early 30's than as Hollywood entertainment.

    It's a shame the film crew was not able to handle on-site sound. Even more than the absence of actual Balinese dialogue, which is replaced by dialogue cards, the loss of music during the several important dance scenes is deflating. While the composer tries hard, there is no way he can substitute for the sounds of an actual Balinese gamelan orchestra, with its lively rhythms and brilliantine percussion.

    The story is a bit of fluff about unrequited love; one that would have little relevance in actual Balinese culture. Far more interesting are the dance performances, the market scenes, and the elaborate ceremonies, preserved here in color for all time. A true step back in time, especially when one realizes that the old people seen in the film were born in the 19th century. Legong suffered censorship in Britain (for violence: cockfighting) and in the U.S. for nudity (bare breasts). Today it would be more likely to be censored for showing a couple of six-year olds (at a guess) sharing a couple of clove cigarettes.

    From the angle used, I believe the deserted beach shown at the end of the film to be Kuta Beach, which today resembles Miami far more than the idyllic strip of sand and water that forms the final shot in Legong.
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    • adf-911-276664
    • Oct 17, 2012

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 15, 1935 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Legong (la danza delle vergini)
    • Filming locations
      • Bali, Indonesia
    • Production company
      • Bennett Pictures Corp.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 5 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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