Circus of life

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Movie
Original title Circus of life
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1921
length approx. 100 (1921), 73 (DVD version) minutes
Rod
Director Johannes Guter
script Hans Janowitz
Franz Schulz
production Erich Pommer
camera Axel Graatkjaer
occupation

Circus of Life is a German silent film drama from 1921 by Johannes Guter with Werner Krauss in a double role.

action

Philipp Hogger has made a name for himself in a small town despite his penchant for a certain pedantry and petty bourgeoisie. Actually he feels called to something higher; He thinks the big wide world urgently needs someone like him. His quirkiness gradually leads Hogger's servants to believe that the boss is already a little crazy, especially since he often locks himself up for hours in his library, his everything. Meanwhile, Hogger's nephew Henry has fallen in love with Elinor Hartwich, daughter of the respected and influential Senator Hartwich. He is only willing to give his daughter Henry as his wife on condition that he is free to dispose of his assets ... but attorney Philipp Hogger as Henry's guardian watches over this with eagle eyes. Henry's father determined this to be so, and Uncle Philipp strictly refuses to endorse Henry's declaration of consent prematurely. Philip's reasoning: A lot of money is just a curse from which he wants to protect nephew Henry. In truth, however, Philipp sees Henry's money as a versatile, tried and tested means of power.

One day the arrival of a small traveling circus breaks the monotony of small town life. Led by Director Garpin, a colorful group arrives and causes all kinds of excitement. At the same time, Hogger's notary's office receives a letter in which a colleague asks Hogger to contact the ringmaster in order to interrogate him about the missing Garpin brother Eduard. As Hogger studies the files, he realizes that George Garpin clearly has a keen interest in having his missing brother declared dead. Another member of the circus is obviously occupied with Mr. Hogger, but this time the interest is amorous. Ever since he watched from the window the entry of the show troupe, the lawyer has kept an eye on the beautiful and seductive circus dancer Alegria. Hogger's healthy male instincts, who fell asleep in the small town foul, are awakened again, and he promptly goes to the first circus performance in order to tease his queen of hearts from afar. In the midst of the performance with Alegria and her partner Francesco in a spider-in-a-web allegory, everything becomes too much for Hogger and he leaves the performance briskly. His nephew Henry follows him to demand earlier age again. Uncle Hogger refuses again.

Philipp Hogger's thoughts now only wander around Alegria, whom he ambushes and makes a stormy and obtrusive, clumsy declaration of love. She is anything but enthusiastic about it and brusquely rejects the unattractive man. Hogger just can't get Alegria out of his head when a strange and bizarre plan matures in him: He himself wants to take on the role of the lost brother Eduard in order to be able to get close to Alegria in this mask. Now Henry's fortune gets a role for him, too, because it allows him to win ringmaster George Garpin on his side. Because he only intends to play along with this charade if Philipp Hogger uses this money to help the financially notoriously tight circus back on its feet economically. In addition, Hogger hopes, this will also enable him to pave the way for Alegria's career. Now only nephew Henry, the real owner of the money, has to be tricked. The lawyer fakes a robbery on his house and disappears in the dark with Henry's fortune. The old servant suffers a stroke in the face of this excitement , and Philip is eventually pronounced dead. Henry has to bury his dream of ever marrying Elinor in the face of new circumstances. He combined that there must be a connection with Henry's disappearance and the hasty departure of the small traveling circus.

Philipp Hogger has established himself as the brother of the circus director who has returned home in the small show troupe, as he guarantees them all economic survival. From now on Hogger wants to wind everything up gigantically; In the big city, the humble number with the spider (Francesco), who has lured a dragonfly, played by Alegria, into its web, turns into a huge show. Now everything is happening high in the air, right above a predator cage. But in his own case of beguiling the heart of the stubborn Alegria, Hogger did not get one step further. She rejects him more and more violently and has an affair with her spider partner. For Hogger this means: he has to get rid of Francesco and is therefore planning his kidnapping in order to take over the spider part instead. With the help of his accomplice Tom, a chauffeur, Francesco can be pulled out of circulation and Hogger becomes a spider in the web. When Alegria realizes that it is not Francesco, but the hated intrusive "Eduard Garpin" who is approaching her, she is very shocked. The audience goes wild with enthusiasm as Alegria, as a dragonfly, realistically shows fear in the face of Hogger's spider in the web. The old clown Agapit, who watches the hustle and bustle under the big top from the ring floor, quickly realizes that something is not going as it always has here.

Now things are coming to a head. Francesco has been released and climbs up under the big top. It comes to a fight with the rival, in which Tom also intervenes. He throws Francesco down, but Alegria's admirer falls into the elastic spider's web and is only thrown back up a little by the suspension. But then he plops into the predator enclosure below. As if by a miracle, he escapes the beasts. Hogger knows he has burst and escapes over the roof of the circus with his accomplice Tom. Henry has meanwhile contacted the police without completely understanding the context. In any case, he tells the authorities that he is convinced that Eduard Garpin, who has returned home, has taken his money and is wasting it in the circus. A profile with Edward's likeness is then issued. The real Eduard Garpin, who meanwhile works as a dance teacher in a small town, learns at the moment of his arrest that they are looking for him. Now Hogger faces serious hardship, because it is only a matter of time before his false identity is exposed. The first thing he wants to do is lure Alegria and Francesco away.

Buddy Tom plays the artist agent for him, who is supposed to bait the two circus artists with a lucrative offer. This should lead abroad, a ready-to-go machine is already waiting. When Alegria and Francesco try to board the plane, Francesco is pushed back and the plane gets out with only Hogger and Alegria as passengers, while chauffeur Tom controls the plane. The machine lands in a remote area where Hogger and Alegria want to make themselves cuddly in a country house. On the floor, Hogger and Tom fall apart because Hogger's promised rich reward fails to come. Tom knocks the lawyer down hard, steals all of his cash and flies away again. Alegria then discovers her charitable side and takes care of the penetrating stalker and kidnapper Hogger. Meanwhile, in the remand prison, where the real Eduard Garpin was taken, and his brother George are compared. Now the ringmaster has to admit that he has tolerated a deceiver as his brother at his side the whole time. Hogger realizes he has failed. After seeing Francesco again, Alegria tries to appease her angry lover: She explains to him that Hogger is just a lovesick, wounded soul. Philipp Hogger, however, falls into the hands of the judiciary.

Production notes

The circus of life , a classic Amour-fou story, was created in the Decla Bioscop Atelier in Neubabelsberg , had six acts and was 2,282 meters long. After the censorship bill on December 6, 1921, the strip received a youth ban. The premiere took place on December 15, 1921 in Berlin's Marble House .

The film structures were designed by Hermann Warm .

criticism

Paimann's film lists summed up: “Apart from a few passages, the subject is kept very exciting, the portrayal is very good, especially Werner Kraus, whose diabolical conception of roles only contrasts too much with the modern environment. With regard to the presentation, beautiful circus scenes and the well-placed interiors in the notary's house should be mentioned. With the exception of a few scenes, the photos are good. "

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Circus of Life in Paimann's film lists

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