The Song of Songs (1933)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The Song of Songs |
| Original title | The Song of Songs |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1933 |
| length | 83 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Rouben Mamoulian |
| script |
Leo Birinski , Samuel Hoffenstein based on the novel of the same name (1908) by Hermann Sudermann |
| production | Rouben Mamoulian |
| music |
Karl Hajos Milan Rodern |
| camera | Victor Milner |
| cut | George Amy |
| occupation | |
| |
The Song (Original title: The Song of Songs ) is an American film drama made in 1933. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian played Marlene Dietrich starred.
action
Germany, at the turn of the century. Lily Czepanek, a girl from the country, has just lost her father and is being brought up by her aunt, the Berlin bookseller Ms. Rasmussen, who is just as rigid and extremely conservative as she is greedy for money. One day the sculptor Richard Waldow, whose studio Lily can see from her apartment, enters the bookstore. He is immediately fascinated by Lily's perfect body shape and asks her if she would even like to model him. Lily is able to escape the supervision of her control-addicted aunt and even agrees to model Richard naked. Lily then believes that she has found the man of her dreams in Waldow. Although Waldow reciprocates her feelings, he is afraid to bind himself tight and therefore does not use the chance Lily offers him. A customer Richard, the wealthy Baron von Merzbach, visits Waldow one day and sees the finished statue after the image of Lily. He falls head over heels in love with her and asks Richard if he couldn't get to know the original. Unlike Richard, Merzbach is a self-confident daredevil and tries to conquer Lily. Since Richard still does not have the guts to fight Lily and Merzbach on the other hand makes it clear to him, the poor sculptor, that Lily would be better off with him, the wealthy aristocrat, Waldow gives up his secret love Lily on and for Baron Merzbach free. Lily has no inkling of this tacit agreement when she once again wants to visit Richard in his studio. Instead, she meets the baron, who tells her that Richard has gone on a journey. Disappointed by his lack of courage to stand by their love, Lily accepts Merzbach's proposal and becomes his wife just to get back at Richard.
The baron enables his handsome young wife to do everything that money can buy. She immerses herself in the world of the top ten thousand, learns to dance, French and learns everything about music. Still, Lily becomes deeply unhappy in this marriage. One day her riding instructor von Prell tries to hit her, but Lily rejects him. Merzbach, who wants to put this complicated network of relationships between himself, his wife and Richard Waldow in order, is looking for an interview in which all three take part, but this idea goes completely wrong. Lily has learned that Richard never went on the journey her husband insinuated, and only gave in to Merzbach's urging to part with Lily out of his own weakness. Shocked by this news, Lily runs away, but is caught by Richard in Merzbach's villa park. Richard tries to explain his former behavior to Lily, but she doesn't want to hear from him anymore. With hurt pride and a touch of revenge, Lily says that she already loves someone else, a certain Herr von Prell. To prove this to Richard, she goes to the park's pavilion, where von Prell is currently staying, and kisses him coram publico. He seizes the moment and wants to drag Lily to his bedchamber to seduce her there. On the way there, von Prell knocks over a burning lamp, which immediately sets the pavilion on fire.
After some of Merzbach's domestics saw Prell carry Lily von Merzbach away in his arms, they inform their master, who then intends to kill his wife (and possibly von Prell at the same time) in a fit of jealousy. The in-house governess warns Lily about her husband's plans, who then escapes the madness and leaves von Merzbach and his property behind. But later, he hopes, not too late, Richard finally makes an attempt to win Lily back for himself. Lily has now found a job as an animator. Richard can find them and convince them to try again with him. But she hesitates, initially remaining reserved towards him. It is only after Lily destroys the statue she once modeled in an act of self-liberation that she is ready to reconcile with Richard Waldow and build a future together.
Production notes
The high song was composed in the spring of 1933 and premiered on July 19, 1933 at the Criterion Theater, New York. National Socialist Germany did not allow any German performance. The German-language premiere took place on September 29, 1933 in Austria. The German premiere took place on April 19, 1975 on WDR television.
Hans Dreier designed the film structures, Travis Banton the costumes. William C. Mellor was one of several simple cinematographers who assisted chief cinematographer Victor Milner .
With this film, Marlene Dietrich tried for the first time to escape her image as a vamp and "sinful seductress" created by service since The Blue Angel .
Reviews
After the Vienna premiere, the Österreichische Film-Zeitung wrote about Marlene Dietrich: “A film in which the artist finds a role, in which her art of design and her versatility is again brilliantly confirmed, is“ Das Hohe Lied ”(...) The director Rouben Mamoulian has created a very effective work with the film. "
Paimann's film lists summed up: “The strong accusation is filmed with considerable empathy in the costume of the time it was made. A selected ensemble was available for this; at the top is Dietrich, whose game makes the last divergences between the work and the American director's approach forgotten. Unusual ideas, skilful transitions, discrete background music used with measure. Particularly effective photography in the outdoor area. (...) Well above average. "
"Powerful, poetic melodrama based on the novel of the same name by Sudermann."
"Dull story only worthwhile thanks to the good acting performances, especially Dietrich, who shines in her first Hollywood film that was not directed by Josef von Sternberg."
"Pretentious, romantic nonsense, made more or less enjoyable by the reliable hand of the director."
Web links
- The Song of Songs in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Das Hohe Lied at filmportal.de
- extensive review in the New York Times
Individual evidence
- ↑ "The Song of Songs". In: Österreichische Film-Zeitung , September 2, 1933, p. 2 (online at ANNO ).
- ↑ Das Hohe Lied in Paimann's film lists ( Memento of the original from June 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ The High Song in the Lexicon of International Films
