The castle in the shade
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The castle in the shade |
| Original title | Moonfleet |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1955 |
| length | 90 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Fritz Lang |
| script |
Jan Lustig Margaret Fitts based on the novel Moonfleet (1898) by J. Meade Falkner |
| production | John Houseman |
| music | Miklós Rózsa |
| camera | Robert H. Planck |
| cut | Albert Akst |
| occupation | |
| |
The Castle in the Shadow is an 18th century adventure story by Fritz Lang with Stewart Granger in the leading role in Dorset , southern England .
action
The story takes place in the southern English coastal town of Moonfleet in 1757. Smugglers have been up to mischief there for years under the secret leadership of country gentleman Jeremy Fox. One day, the life of this handsome, smart gentleman criminal is turned upside down when ten-year-old orphan boy John Mohune shows up. He is looking for his mother's former fiancé, who has appointed him as John's guardian. Neither John's mother nor the boy himself suspected that behind the facade of the elegant adventurer and womanizer - Don Juan Jeremy has amorous relationships with the noble Lady Clarista Ashwood, the sly Mrs. Minton and a fiery, nameless gypsy dancer - Jeremy Fox an unscrupulous and dangerous one Buccaneer is stuck. John is also extremely inconvenient for Jeremy. Not only that he has absolutely nothing to do with a little boy, but his men, who only know Jeremy as a "tough guy", expect their leader to get the boy aside as quickly as possible, as he is responsible for their "business" stands in the way. In short: Jeremy should, if the villainous Lord Ashwood has his way, kill the too-knowing kid.
Jeremy can prevent the worst and makes it clear to his people that the boy will not disrupt their business, but might even be of use one day. Over time, John Mohune and his alleged father become best friends and, in the years that follow, endure dangerous adventures together that become a test for John and moral cleansing for Fox. After all, little John becomes a hope for great fortune even for Jeremy when he hunts for a precious diamond that once belonged to a certain Redbart, an ancestor of Little John. And so begins for Jeremy, who is gradually going through a change from Saul to Paul, his illegitimate, alleged son to be really interesting, he is the rightful heir of this clunker. But Jeremy's rascal buddies do not agree with Jeremy's change to an upright man at all and turn increasingly against their leader, who defends little John and the inheritance due to him with all his might. Jeremy can win in the end, but has to lose his life in the moment of his final purification.
Production notes
The castle in the shadow was shot almost completely in the studio in the second half of 1954, only a few coastal shots were taken in Oceanside, California . The world premiere took place on June 24, 1955. In Germany, Lang's third-last US production was released on March 31, 1956, in Austria on May 25, 1956. The German television first broadcast took place on October 30, 1974 on WDR III.
The buildings were built under the direction of Cedric Gibbons and were executed by Hans O. Peters , Edwin B. Willis designed the furnishings. Walter Plunkett designed the costumes. William Tuttle took care of the makeup and the masks. Wesley C. Miller was the sound engineer, Jud Kinberg was the production manager. Vicente Gómez contributed the flamenco music.
In narrative style and image design, the strip combines typically English Gothic romanticism with the German fairy tale tradition of the Brothers Grimm . In retrospect, Lang was dissatisfied with the very wide-screen cinemascope format used in this film , because it was "only good for [the representation of] funerals and snakes". Lang explained to his young colleague Peter Bogdanovich in a long interview: "When you think of famous paintings, there is only one thing in this format that I know of, and that is The Last Supper ."
criticism
The film critics rated Lang's late work very differently. Leading actor Granger himself called the castle in the shadow in his 1981 autobiography Sparks Fly Upward a "dreary costume epic". Further reviews follow:
Paimann's film lists summed up: "A fable, the veteran director Lang scene as Dickens'sche trains gave, but just as the actor was unable to cover their trashy-like tone. With the help, in the first half, however, too much covered, panoram. Color pictures & Ambient background music with a mysterious atmosphere. "
“Fritz Lang's most elaborate Hollywood production is only at first glance a colorful adventure film based on the usual pattern. A fatalistic gesture and a gloomy mood dominate the climate of the story; The director's personal signature is noticeable in numerous details, especially in the virtuoso room and light direction. "
"Lukewarm 18th century story with the British Granger who becomes a privateer."
“Gothic-style historical drama that almost, if not quite, works. The script just doesn't climax and too many characters are heading nowhere. But there are wonderful moments. "
"Masterpiece of dark romanticism by Fritz Lang."
Individual evidence
- ^ Bret Wood: Moonfleet (1955) - Articles. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved October 25, 2019 .
- ↑ The Castle in the Shadow in Paimann's film lists ( Memento from May 30, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ The castle in the shadow. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed October 25, 2019 .
Web links
- The castle in the shade in the Internet Movie Database (English)