The Bangalor riddle
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Bangalor riddle |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1918 |
| length | 88 (1918) 59 (1922) minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Alexander von Antalffy Paul Leni (direction) |
| script |
Rudolf Kurtz Paul Leni |
| production | Pax-Film, Berlin |
| music | Robert Assmann (compilation) |
| camera | Paul Leni (design) |
| occupation | |
| |
The Bangalor Riddle is a German silent film from 1918.
action
India , the fictional location of the action, is now called Bengaluru , a long time ago. The country's various secret sects have sworn revenge on the governor for believing he betrayed them and wanted to bring them under British colonial rule . They kidnap the governor's young daughter Ellen, who is being held captive by Prince Dinja in his magnificent palace. A Scottish doctor named Archie Douglas learns of their fate when one day he is led into the palace blindfolded. They both quickly fall in love.
The two lovers forge an escape plan. In fact, Archie manages to free Ellen from her golden cage. But the extremely powerful opponents, above all the diabolical Dinja, do not give up and pursue the couple around the globe, from India to America to Japan. Once they manage to get hold of the young woman again, but Douglas is able to free Ellen again. Finally, Dinja realizes that nothing is stronger than love, lets the girl go and finally kills herself in a sea of flames in Tokyo.
Production notes
The film passed the censorship in December 1917, was banned from young people and was premiered on January 11, 1918 in Hamburg's Lessing Theater on Gänsemarkt . The Berlin premiere of The Riddle of Bangalor took place on February 7, 1918 in the UT Union Palast Kurfürstendamm .
The 1918 version had five acts and was 1808 meters long. In October 1922 a new censorship took place, which was only 1350 meters long with the same number of acts. Only a few meters short fragment of the film has survived.
The 21-year-old Gilda Langer made her debut here in front of the camera, Conrad Veidt landed his first major audience success with The Riddle of Bangalor .
criticism
In the Lichtbild stage it was said: “ The Bangalor Riddle is one of the greatest feature films that the world market knows about. It is to the advantage that it could be produced in the workshops of the Union with the extraordinary wealth of resources and props. The painter Paul Leni has conjured up pictures on canvas with a confident taste and artistic sensitivity that can hardly be found in similar splendor and authenticity. The director Alexander von Antalffy's rounds off the work worthily, the textbook of which was skilfully written by Rudolf Kurtz and Paul Leni according to the needs of such an extraordinary film set. - Harry Liedtke is a masterpiece as a Scottish doctor. With extraordinary acting power he knows how to portray the emotional experiences and never sheds the magic of amiability, which we particularly value in him. As the daughter of the governor, Gilda Langer enters the film stage for the first time, with a success that makes her one of the most beautiful hopes of our art. Gilda Langer combines a sure mastery of the acting possibilities with a fascinating elegance of appearance. As an Indian prince, Conrad Veith gives the masterful character study of a man ravaged by passionate emotions, in whom innate nobility fights with the wild desires of his exotic nature. (...) We must once again pay tribute to the great art of decorating Paul Leni's, who with taste and sure instinct has given the film an outer look ... "
The cinematographer wrote: “ The riddle of Bangalor by Rudolf Kurz and Paul Leni has no further subtitle, so it should not affect the viewer by anything but itself. (...) The dramatic plot of this film is strong in my opinion, develops from the first act, which is dull in this respect, in an ascending line and the tension continues. The end of this song of love has poetic tones and so one can say that the textual background is good. And yet she seems to be the insignificant in this film. Because it was placed in a frame of unbelievable splendor. The direction was directed with great success by Alexander von Antalffy, but the most important factor in the whole was Paul Leni, who used his finely cultivated artistry to direct the images in his film. The Indian palace, the lavish cosmopolitan refinement, the flower-strewn Japanese city, these are all pictures, full of romance and yet full of real life. Here German art showed that it can withstand and fight against competition. The path that was taken here was paved with all necessary means and therefore it had to lead to sensational success. But German industry can be proud of it. The presentation was excellent. Gilda Langer only had to look beautiful, which shouldn't have been difficult for her, but Harry Liedtke was a fiery, elegant lover and Conrad Veith as an Indian prince was a sharp character. "
The film found: “In front of a crowded house in the Unionpalast, a new monumental, extremely effective film drama The Riddle of Bangalor (Pax film; monopoly James Henschel-Hamburg and Wilhelm Feindt) achieved a promising success, which was mainly due to the excellent artistic and technical Design, which gives the exciting subject (by Rudolf Kurtz and Paul Leni) its real value. (…) The viewer is not only led into the mysterious, dark corners of the ancient Indian city, but also through half the world to finally witness how love and energy triumph over cunning, revenge and intrigue. "
Paimann's film lists summed up: “The material is fantastic. Photos very good. Excellent game and scenery ”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Aßmann selected pieces of music by the composers Peter Tschaikowski , Edvard Grieg , Richard Wagner , Johannes Brahms , Giacomo Puccini and Léo Delibes for the individual acts and scenes .
- ↑ Lichtbild-Bühne, Berlin, Volume 11, Issue 4 of January 26, 1918, p. 76
- ↑ Der Kinematograph, Düsseldorf, Volume 12, No. 580 of February 13, 1918
- ↑ Der Film, Berlin, Volume 3, No. 7 of February 16, 1918, p. 74
- ↑ The riddle of Bangalor in Paimann's film lists ( Memento of the original from March 16, 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.
