The leap into life

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Movie
Original title The leap into life
Country of production German Empire
original language German
Publishing year 1924
length 83 minutes
Rod
Director Johannes Guter
script Franz Schulz
production Oskar Messter
camera Fritz Arno Wagner
occupation

and Max Gülstorff , Erling Hanson , Max Valentin , Ernst Prockl , Hermann Thimig

The Jump Into Life is a German silent film from 1923 by Johannes Guter with Xenia Desni , Walter Rilla and Paul Heidemann in the leading roles. Marlene Dietrich can be seen here in one of her early roles.

action

Idea works as a young artist in a small traveling circus. When the group stops at a seaside resort, Idea observes members of the so-called “better society”. Her gaze wandered longingly there and she breathed out the sentence "Oh, if I were just a young girl of good company and not a circus girl". These words are used by the somewhat unworldly idealist and bourgeois scientist Dr. Rudolf Borris caught, who once fell on his nose with his do-gooders when he wanted to help a tramp, who then stole from him from behind. Borris has learned nothing from his failure and now wants - as a kind of Professor Higgins - to help the girl to turn her into a real lady in the longed-for "better society". Idea accepts this tempting-sounding offer and then comes into the care of Rudolf's strict aunt Sophie. For Idea this means saying goodbye to her circus partner Frank, who has loved her for quite some time.

For Idea everything, the re-education and all the new things she learns, is extremely exciting and instructive at the beginning, but soon the circus blood stirs in her, calls her soul to the ring and longs for the applause of the audience. One day the girl sees Frank again, and now she realizes that she loves him as much as he loves her. Idea makes it clear to Borris that she is grateful to him but still wants to go back to her own world. Here, she says, everything is like a rose-draped prison, a golden cage. Borris believes that Idea's request is temporary, and he goes on a journey with her. The social rigidity of those people whom Idea once admired is becoming more and more of a burden to her, and she is increasingly repulsed by the narrow-mindedness of her patron Borris. One day the circus girl can't take it any longer and escapes her companion in the high mountains. Borris runs after her, falls and has an accident. Idea now feels it has a duty to take care of her injured benefactor. For a while the circus is forgotten. But the blood of the traveling people continues to boil in her, the longing for the circus air soon becomes stronger and stronger. And so she gives in with a heavy heart when Frank, from whom his partner in the arena has just run away, asks her to perform with him again for at least one evening.

Ideas Part in Frank's proven artist number is the same as before: Frank has placed a rod on his forehead, a ball rotates on top and Idea is balanced on the ball. The insert, conceived as a traveling circus number, is only made larger and more sensational and is presented in a predator kennel. Borris, who is still not fully recovered, who has looked for his runaway idea and has taken a seat in the circus and discovered it there, attends the performance full of tension. Idea has been out of business for a long time, so it seems quite nervous. She hasn't practiced for a year, and when Borris sees her and realizes her insecurity, he calls out her name out of desperation. For a moment, Idea loses her focus and plunges into the depths among the wild predators. At the last moment, Frank manages to save his partner. Dr. Borris, finished with his nerves, learns something from this incident. His sweetheart is a circus child, and he has no right to snatch her from her own mother earth and plant it anew in his life, which is completely alien to her. Borris releases Idea and she returns to her world, the circus.

Production notes

Most of the shooting took place in August 1923 in the Jofa studio in Berlin. The exterior shots were taken on Rügen . The premiere was on February 4, 1924 in Berlin's Tauentzienpalast .

Rudi Feld designed the film structures. For Leonhard Haskel this was the last film role, he died the year before the premiere.

Reviews

"Dr. Johannes Guters direction. What an opportunity this material would have given a director aiming for a blatant audience impact to indulge in broad, stirring scenes. This direction knows how to dampen the sentiment so discreetly that even the aesthetically sensitive nerves of the audience perceive the sentimentality as a special shade in the painting pleasantly. And people are very skillfully interwoven with their milieu, as far as the basis for action allows, and grow up out of the environment, as it were. The interplay is based on a certain chamber music intimacy. Xenia Desni gives the external illusion in the main role. (...) One believes her longing for society rather than the sudden desire to return to the land of freedom. Their facial expressions still require richer development. (...) Walter Rilla gives your circus partner a sympathetic demeanor that sometimes translates directly into a moving action. Paul Heidemann comes to terms with the figure of the professor with pleasantly touching reluctance. In terms of acting, however, the strongest impression is made by Frida Richard. (...) Rudi Feld's buildings are quite characteristic. These people can live in these community parlors. As always, Fritz Arno Wagner's photography is at an artistic level. "

“A circus film and yet not actually a circus film. It is true that there are events within a traveling circus, but essentially the poles of the action are so strongly human that the circus background really only remains a background and the flow of human events is in the foreground. Dr. In his direction, Guter always had the audience effect in mind, but he made strong underlinings through significantly nice directing ideas, such as observing the circus effect, through close-ups of types of audience, and also achieved a higher artistic level through skillful and cultivated direction. Xenia Desni has a refreshing effect as a circus child, so that it seems all too understandable when Paul Heidemann as a professor sees himself thrown off course because of her. Walter Rilla is her circus partner and is very reluctant to work through this. As is so often the case, Frida Richard offered a special performance in a smaller role. Photographically the film is excellent. Fritz Arno Wagner has proven that the trust that has been placed in him after his two great films will not be disappointed by him. "

“So Franz Schulz's manuscript is not exactly exaggeratedly original and otherwise weaker than one is used to from this author. Much is said in titles (not always good ones) that could have been shaped graphically. The director Johannes Guter, who succeeded in creating quite a few pretty scenes and visual effects, was unable to make sufficient use of the strong film-like possibilities of the circus milieu, which never becomes the bearer of the action, but always remains a chance decoration. - In the lead role, Xenia Desni looked good, as always, and showed good acting routine; but this artist lacks the inner warmth that can turn any role into an experience and win the hearts of the audience. - Heidemann played the professor with great success. Walter Rilla (in the role of the circus partner) not only has an interesting head, but can also play. "

“'The Novel of a Circus Child' was a huge hit with the public at the Tauentzienpalast. Because the circus environment in the film never loses its effectiveness. (...) This new circus film, materially without any new ideas, is only of interest because of certain details of the performance; his value lies mainly in the treatment of the episodic (Lydia Potechina, Haskel, Brausewetter, and above all, Frida Richard.) Xenia Desni, the circus girl with the eternal longing for the ring, is of compelling grace, but her talent shows her more Comedy. Why didn't the otherwise so tasteful Franz Schulz write a circus comedy for her with the most parodistic touch possible? He did not get beyond tiny approaches and saved himself through the usual tragic turn. Paul Heidemann is particularly effective in these roles; otherwise only prancing joker, here valuable character actor. "

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Heinz Michaelis in Film-Kurier , Berlin, Volume 6, No. 31, from February 5, 1924
  2. ↑ Der Film, Berlin, Volume 9, No. 7, Page 36, from February 17, 1924
  3. ^ Heinrich Fraenkel in Lichtbildbühne, Berlin, Volume 17, No. 14, Page 26, from February 9, 1924
  4. ↑ Berliner Tageblatt , Berlin, Volume 53, No. 70, from February 10, 1924

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