"Pandora's Box" *** (out of ****)"Kill yourself so you don't drive me to murder as well."
Dr. Ludwig Schon - "Pandora's Box"
So says Dr. Ludwig Schon (Fritz Kortner) on his wedding day to Lulu (Louise Brooks) after being put into a fit of rage.
It is a line that nearly any man in the movie could have said to Lulu and it would have made sense.
G.W. Pabst's "Pandora's Box" (1929) is all about Lulu and the wild passions she brings out in men. The film is not shy about dealing with issues concerning sex, lust and desire.
The first time we see Lulu she is with an older gentleman. They are sharing a drink. He glances at her and she back at him. We see the burning lust in his eyes and a girlish seductiveness in her's. Immediately, from the first scene, sex is in the air.
That pretty much sums up "Pandora's Box". In the film every man, and even a woman (film historians say this is the first film to feature a lesbian character) fall in love with Lulu. The film, which divided into "acts" really has two chapters. Lulu's empowerment. As we see her work her seductive charms over men and her downfall. After the men have already had their way with her and no longer see any use for her except to make money off her. So basically we are dealing with sex and money.
The film has no problem showing us scenes which more than suggest Lulu has become a prostitute. Or the intentions of Marquis Casti-Piani (Michael van Newlinsky) to sell her as a sex slave.
I could write page after page merely on Louise Brooks' beauty. And while some my say her looks have nothing to do with the movie, they are wrong. It has everything to do with it. Brooks was a beauty and at one time a great star. Today she is sadly forgotten by the youthful audience of today but she deserves much better. For me her acting is on par with the great Greta Garbo, whom I feel is the greatest female star of the silent era. She was prettier than Clara Bow, whom I've also discussed on here. Both women were seen as the quintessential flapper. But Brooks had such a screen presence to her that it made the screen come to life. Her face, her smile, her body. She was an indestructible force.
Watching "Pandora's Box" I kept wondering to myself does Lulu know what she is doing? Does she purposely set out to drive men wild or does it naturally happen? Is she a vixen or naive? Some people are natural flirts and don't even realize they are doing it. Others turn it into a sport.
"Pandora's Box" and "Diary of A Lost Girl" (also 1929) probably feature Brooks' two most famous performances. Both films were directed by G.W. Pabst. Pabst (I reviewed his "Threepenny Opera" (1931) is considered by some as the best filmmaker in Germany during his era (what about Fritz Lang and Paul Leni?). These films, and to an extent "Threepenny", are films which challenge society and its concept of what is morally acceptable. Lulu doesn't behave the way she is suppose to. She is a free spirit. But even she must pay a price.
Some of the film's most bold scenes deal with Lulu and Countess Geschwitz (Alice Roberts). On Lulu's wedding day the Countess ask her for a dance. By this time we know the Countess is in love with Lulu. I wonder if Bertolucci was inspired by this scene when he filmed his famous tango scene in "The Conformist" (1971).
Scenes dealing with Lulu as a street walker are as direct as you can possibly get. Lulu, at this point, has hit bottom. She is on the run from the police, after an accident which resulted in her husband's death, she has since fallen in love with Alwa Schon (Francis Lederer) her husband's son. And with them is Schigolch (Carl Goetz). Some have suggested he was her pimp. Both men know what Lulu is up to and they both allow it to happen because of the money it will bring.
But for as bold as the film may have been in spots there was still a censor board which would not allow such a character as Lulu to succeed. SPOILER ALERT: Lulu is killed by Jack the Ripper (Gustav Diessl) after she tries to bring him back to her place. At first Jack fights off his desire to kill her by throwing away his pocket knife. But the temptation becomes too strong when he sees a knife on her table while they embrace. It is what happens after her death which says the most. Pabst doesn't even make the audience feel pity for her lost life. The camera cuts away to the street. It is Christmas, people are celebrating. Given what has just happened it almost seems Pabst is suggesting we should celebrate Lulu's death. No one mourns for her. The film tells us, if women continue to lead this lifestyle death is all they can look forward to. END SPOILER
The film was based on two plays written by Frank Wedekind and adapted by Hungarian writer Ladislaus Vajda. And is considered to be a masterpiece by many film buffs. I don't think the film quite reaches that level but it is well worth seeing. I made the mistake, when writing about Clara Bow, not to review one of her better films as an introduction on this blog. I didn't want to make the same mistake with Brooks. Even if you chose to only watch this film for Brooks it will have been worth your effort.
What would have made "Pandora's Box" better? I'm not sure. Maybe a shorter running time. The film goes off into areas it didn't need to. And maybe if the ending were different, further challenging society's conventions. It seems so bold only to cop out at the end. Regardless though "Pandora's Box" should not be dismissed by today's audience.
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