This silent masterpiece presents interesting questions when one watches it. How was this subject matter received in 1929 when it was first released? How has the meaning and sympathies changed or not changed? Despite lacking any nudity, why does this film still retain such a high erotic appeal?
In its time, the film was received with great controversy for its frankness toward its scandalous material. Star Louise Brooks’ sexual abandon and provocative allure must have been shocking in its day. Part of its erotic charge still remains for two reasons — 1) despite being benign by today’s standards we have a clear sense when watching this silent film that its trying to get away with something naughty and 2) Louise Brooks, who grabs one’s attention from the first frame and will not let go, which is exactly what her character is supposed to be. Brooks plays Lulu, a freewheeling flapper who uses her sexuality to move upward in the world. She’s a party girl, who likes having a good time and above all — having sex.
At the start, she is living in a luxury apartment thanks to her lover Dr. Peter Schon (Fritz Kortner), who is about to dump her to marry his more respectable fiancée. Then the scruffy Shigolch (Carl Goetz) shows up. Lulu calls him her first patron then later refers to him as her father. Some have written that they believe he is her pimp, but I think he’s closer to an opportunist who took Lulu under his wing when she was younger (possibly homeless at the time) and helped her find men to woo. She’s not a prostitute per se, but a woman looking for better sugar daddies to take care of her or just another fella to have a good time with. Shigolch has brought the fat, drunkard Rodrigo Quast (Krafft-Raschig) to meet Lulu, because he hopes Quast will add Lulu to his stage act. However, Lulu has better prospects, batting her eyes at Dr. Schon’s musical writer son Alwa (Francis Lederer) and the wealthy, stage patron Countess Anna Geschwitz (Alice Roberts), who is clearly one of the first lesbian characters to reach the screen.
At first we write off, Lulu as a conniving gold digger, but soon she wins us over like everyone else that meets her. She embraces life with a carefree and innocent zeal that is infectious. However, she has a bad habit of attaching herself to men, who don’t always have her best interests in mind. As the plot moves forward, her situation becomes more and more desperate to the point where she’s wrapped up in a murder, almost sold into slavery and meets up with a new Jack the Ripper (Gustav Diessl).
The entire film’s success hinges on the compelling and natural performance of Brooks. She was born to play the character, having been too wild for Hollywood and virtually exiled to Europe in real life. Her performance lacks the pantomime that is typical of the silent era acting style. Unlike so many silent films that rely of camera and editing to elicit emotion, this film combines realistic performances with building melodrama that we can believe in. As the tragic tale gets worse and worse for Lulu, we care what happens to her and more and more come to believe that she doesn’t deserve such as raw deal.
Director G.W. Pabst uses his camera well, creating some wonderfully ironic shots. There’s one in particular with Lulu and Dr. Schon that uses smoke where the lack of sound actually adds to the dramatic effect of the shot construction. In addition to the entire cast’s more natural acting, the film avoids the dated curse of other silent films by dealing with its salacious subject matter in a frank way.
The taboos it addresses are still taboo today. Female sexuality, lesbianism and serial murders are all topics that modern films are still grappling with. As for its lasting impact on pop culture, Brooks’ short bob haircut became a style sensation — defining the modern look of the flapper. The haircut was even referred to as the Lulu. With THE JAZZ SINGER ushering in sound two years prior to the release of this film, PANDORA’S BOX balances on the crux between the world of silent cinema and talkies. It’s compelling characters and drama, acting style, natural make-up and frank sexuality are far more akin to modern films than silent movies. In addition to its truly compelling story, PANDORA’S BOX is a masterpiece, because it’s like watching a giant evolutionary step in the way films are made unfold before your eyes.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
