This is quite possibly the oldest film I have ever watched, the only one I can think of which may be older is Man With a Movie Camera and that was more a visual accompaninent to a concert. So I approached the grandaddy of Sci Fi with Trepadation. Its in Black and White. Not a problem. Its a foreign film. Not a Problem. Its got spoken words in it. Getting more difficult. Its an example of German Expressionism. Not got a clue what that is.
After viewing the film I do feel I have a better understanding of expressionism. I think its very melodramatic and focuses on showing emotional very obviously. I'm sure someone will tell me if I am wrong.
My intial thoughts were that the film was going to be a struggle. The pacing is slow comapred to even the most languid films today and the lack of speech made it hard at first. Something twigged about 20 minutes in though. Without any words I was able to impose on the movie more of my own ideas and feelings. The lead character is looking forlorn and his mouth is moving, its up to me to decide what he's saying. For this modern movie viewer it felt like a collaborative effort between me and the filmmaker and helped to draw me in. I must admit though I did cheat as I was reading the wikipedia overview as I watched but I excuse this as the same thing as watching an opera in a foreign language with programme notes.
The sets also helped to encapture me. They may be old but they were well done and the effects all work to tell the story. The general look of the piece is very ditinctive and I think this more than the story is what has kept it in legend for 83 years now. You can see its influence in films such as Blade Runner and even Superman's Metropolis. It set the template for the Sci-Fi City.
As for the acting very little acting actually stands out but the casting does. Rotwang, the mad scientist is very well cast as he does look deranged and creepy and Grot, the leader of the workers, could easily be Brian Blessed. For all I know it is.
The one performance that did stand out was that of Brigitte Helm who has to play two very different roles in this piece. I particularly like her take on the robot character of "False Maria" who unlike most future robots has no robotic charcteristics at all. Instead she is a evil prankster with a side of lasciviousness. This can be particularly seen in the part where she flips the switch to break the pumps. The manner in which she looks around grinning is puckish in its glee and malevolence. She also plays Maria ,who is the Union leader for all intents and purposes, this is a less interesting character and portrayal but it does highlight the fact that she is performing rather than being herself on screen.
I would recommned this film to anyone who is interested in the history of film and can cope with silent movies. I don't know if it'll make it into my own personal top 250, as it holds up as more of an important film rather that one I would go back to again and again or a moving film. Its final placing will depend on exactly what criteria I decide dictates a film worthy of inclusion. Still I give this an 8 at the moment with my hazy scoring system.
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