German
Articles and Essays on German Films
Last Laugh, The (1924)
“One day you are preeminent, respected by all…a minister, a general, maybe even a prince. But, what will you be tomorrow?!” In the opening shot of F.W. Murnau’s silent classic The Last Laugh the film camera excitingly swoops into a fancy and luxurious hotel as you witness a elderly doorman who feels proud of his respected […]
Continue
Pandora’s Box (1929)
Louise Brooks has the type of face that radiates the movie screen, as her luscious eyes tempt and seduce audiences to come join and play with her. Pauline Kael writes, “Her beauty was almost impersonal, she carries it like a gift she doesn’t think much about, and confronts us as a naughty girl. When you meet someone like this […]
Continue
Faust (1926)
F. W. Murnau was one of the boldest and imaginative artists working during the silent period of German Expressionism. Along with his horror classic Nosferatu, his creation of Faust is considered one of the greatest of all supernatural fantasies; and the visionary Murnau was so distinctive with his use of canvas that he constructed one of the most haunting vistas […]
Continue
Stroszek (1977)
“We’ve got a truck on fire…can’t find the switch to turn the ski lift off…and can’t stop the dancing chicken…Send an electrician.” In one of the most strangest and fascinating art films ever made, Werner Herzog’s Stroszek tells the simple story of a mentally disabled ex-con, a tiny quirky best friend and a girlfriend who is […]
Continue
Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, The (1974)
Werner Herzog’s masterful film The Engima of Kaspar Hauser tells a historical true story about a young man barely able to speak and walk, who mysteriously appeared in town square early one morning during the year 1828 in Nuremberg, Germany. The townspeople found him clutching the Bible in one hand and an anonymous letter in the […]
Continue