Criterion Challenge selection for the topic, “Watch a film that would be your first choice in the Criterion Closet.”
Why. I think the cover just fascinated me. It looked like something in the same vein as other silent movies I’d seen from the era. A creepyish cover with a title like that made me think Haxan, or maybe some of the more overt horror movies. Heck yeah. It really isn’t that.
I loved the early information about the restoration, particularly that it was funded by Hugh Hefner.I think it looked outstanding. Outside of a few more affected-looking shots, with tones of streaks and grain, it looked amazing.
However, I found it way too long. Aside from maybe some historical context, I don’t think it’s among the greats. Many shots throughout the movie felt like very early filmmaking. Shots that were thrown in because they maybe fit as B-roll. Shots that were way too long. It was sort of like a rudimentary editing process which ended up need to cut about 40 minutes from this, and it might have existed in a tighter cut.
Louse Brooks was delightful. Otherwise, it didn’t make much difference. I felt like this was eight disparate scenes that they fit together roughly.
Of particularly awesome note: the music.
I never understood the origin of Pandora’s Box but hearing it explicitly laid out in this movie is right in line with just misogyny. Basically, a guy is dead. A woman was there. It was her fault. The Box had been opened and she was evil.
This was cool to watch, but it didn’t hit with me on a real plot. It’s paced too slowly and it’s too long. Oh well.