Early Murnau

This luxurious box set contains five works (1921-1925) by one of the most acclaimed directors of the German silent film era: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, whose undisputed masterpiece Nosferatu still ranks among the Top Ten of Horror to this day, surprises here with his diversity ranging from doom-laden drama to social satire and comedy.

In the decidedly morbid SCHLOSS VOGELÖD (1921) we witness the gathering of a group of aristocrats invited by Lord von Vogelschrey to indulge in some hunting, but the constant bad weather soon spoils the mood. While passing time in the castle, the uninvited Count Oetsch suddenly appears and by doing so displeases two of the already assembled guests in particular: Baroness Safferstätt and her husband. It turns out that Count Oetsch is the brother of the Baroness’ first husband, who was shot dead several years ago. Rumour persists that it was none other than the Count who killed his own brother but no evidence could ever be produced. Via flashback sequences it is revealed that the Baroness and her first husband were madly in love at first, until he went away on travels. Upon his return he was a changed man and turned into a religious fanatic. This scenario strongly bears echoes of ‘Tartuffe’. The changed man became so obsessed with his holy demeanour that his wife began an affair with one Baron Safferstätt and, in a fateful moment, expressed her wish that “something truly evil may happen” to jolt her out of boredom and acting good and holy. A short while later the husband announced that he wishes to give his mansion away as spiritual things are now more important to him, prompting a fierce argument between him and his brother, Count Oetsch. When the former Countess’ husband was shot that same night the finger pointed at Count Oetsch… and still does. Alas, unexpected guest announces his arrival at Castle Vogelöd via letter: it is Father Faramund, a former friend of the Baroness’ former husband. During a storm swept night, events take an unexpected turn when the Baroness suddenly wishes to make a confession to the holy Father shortly after his arrival… but he is nowhere to be found despite the servants claims that nobody left the castle…
The pace is so slow it’s almost stifling – a deliberate decision by Murnau to emphasise the psychological state of the main characters, a suggested semi-paralysed state. The acting too is deliberately exaggerated and overtly dramatic, much more in tune with acting on stage rather than in film.

PHANTOM (1922) is perhaps the most powerful film of the entire set. Based on the novel by popular German dramatist Gerhart Hauptmann, the film begins with a brief epilogue set in the present before the unfolding drama is then told in flashback. The main story concerns a clerk called Lorenz Lubota who works for a minor government office. Lubota shares his home with his old mother, as well as with brother Hugo and his sister Melanie. In the sub-story we learn about the domestic and financial struggles of the Lubota household, and the strained relationship of the mother with Melanie because she believes her daughter earns her living as a prostitute. After a heated argument Melanie packs her few belongings and leaves the house. Lorenz, not content with being a clerk, has aspirations of becoming a famous poet – a talent encouraged by pretty neighbours’ daughter Marie, who hopes that one day, she and Lorenz might become an item. Marie’s father shows Lorenz’ poems to a man who hints at the very likely possibility that they will be published. Around the same time, Lorenz is accidentally knocked to the ground by a young woman driving a carriage. When she offers a helping hand, Lorenz is instantly smitten and henceforth cannot think of anything or anyone else but the blonde beauty called Veronika. In the belief that soon he will be rich from his published poems, he borrows money from his aunt Schwabe, a cutthroat pawnbroker. With flash new suits and money to throw around he hopes to impress Veronika but then learns of her planned engagement to a wealthy man. Heartbroken and seemingly unaware of his friend Marie’s feelings for him, he meets another girl in town called Melitta, who looks the spitting image of Veronika. Unfortunately, Melitta turns out to be a gold digger and in his desperation not to lose her borrows ever more money from his aunt by using all sorts of lies… yet, he cannot forget about Veronika and her image haunts him like a phantom. Meanwhile, Lorenz’ fallen sister Melanie gets involved with Aunt Schwabes’ calculating assistant Wigottschinski. When Aunt Schwabe begins to suspect that Lorenz simply fritters his borrowed money away she demands it back from him, something he cannot comply with. Old mother Lubota falls ill from all the hardship, and – grief-stricken with sorrow – Lorenz, Melanie and Wigottschinski hatch a plan to steal more money from Aunt Schwab so Lorenz can pay back the loan… but when the plan goes terribly wrong Lorenz must face the consequences…
An incredibly impressive cast and a strong plot, Phantom is a much morality tale as it is period drama and is without doubt among Murnau’s finest works!

Completely in contrast stands the 1924 comedy DIE FINANZEN DES GROSSHERZOGS (THE GRAND DUKE’S FINANCES) about an impoverished Duke on a mission to re-build his fortune involving various capers on the Mediterranean coast.

DER LETZTE MANN (THE LAST LAUGH) from 1924 stars the great Emil Jannings as a proud doorman who has been in employ by the same grand hotel for many years. When the hotel manager decides that the doorman is getting too old and fragile for the physically demanding position he demoted to the ‘easier’ position of a rest room attendant. His pride broken, the doorman tries to hide the shameful news from his family and his neighbours – he even steals his beloved uniform from the locker in the hotel’s staff room and carries on parading around in the neighbourhood. One day his double life is found out when his wife wants to surprise him and brings him lunch to the hotel – only to discover that a completely different man is employed as the doorman. News spread fast, and the gossiping neighbours assume that the doorman has been lying from day one while his family are so ashamed they reject him. Broken and lonely, the former doorman continues his demeaning job in the hotel’s restroom but fate at last is kind to him… and he really does have the last laugh! Jannings is in top form as a wronged man on the verge of losing his sanity, never mind his dignity. Karl Freund’s superb cinematography achieves perspective wonders and clever trick photography sees whole buildings caving in on Janning’s hallucinatory mind – a trick which had already been used in PHANTOM (this time by Axel Graatkjaer).

Finally, Molière’s much-loved comedy TARTUFFE gets the Murnau treatment in this 1925 adaptation. Once again, Emil Jannings delivers a grandiose performance as Tartüff, the religious hypocrite, while Lil Dagover’s ‘Elmire’ comes up with various ploys to save her beloved husband ‘Orgon’ (Werner Krauss) from the clutches of the scheming Herr Tartüff. This chamber drama is engaging but nowhere near as humorous as Moliére’s original. In addition, Murnau added a frame-work story and stripped his version of secondary characters which appear in the original play.

A truly magnificent box set which admirers of silent film can cherish time and time again. In addition, there are some interesting Special Features on offer!