Pandoras Box: Amazon.ca: Video

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk

G W Pabst's 1928 silent masterpiece Pandora's Box stars the luminous and highly photogenic Louise Brooks. She plays the irresistible Lulu, a cabaret star who entices, captivates and eventually destroys all men who cross her path. Her beauty and her fetching charm draw an assortment of repressed and lonely people; Schigolch, a boozy old man who pretends he's her father; Geschwitz, a countess who has also fallen for Lulu, and Schoen, a rich tycoon who carries on an affair with Lulu even though he's to be married. His short solution is to put Lulu in his son Alwa's vaudeville show. As Alwa, too, becomes trapped in Lulu's charms, Schoen's fiancée catches Lulu and Schoen in a backstage embrace. Lulu quickly takes her place as Schoen's bride, only to drive Schoen to suicide during their wedding party. Put on trial for murder, Lulu almost gets out of it by simply batting her eyes at the prosecutor. Still, she is found guilty and Alwa, who has grown increasingly obsessed, causes a distraction to allow Lulu's escape from the courthouse. Alwa, Lulu and Schoen become desperate fugitives, eventually ending up in London where Lulu finally meets her match: Jack the Ripper. Pandora's Box offers pure cinematic delights--Pabst's luscious photography, the tense drama of its story line and, most impressively and importantly, Louise Brooks, who gives a performance that is certainly one of the best in the history of cinema. --Shannon Gee

Amazon.com Essential Video

G.W. Pabst's 1928 silent masterpiece Pandora's Box stars the luminous and highly photogenic Louise Brooks. She plays the irresistible Lulu, a cabaret star who entices, captures, and eventually destroys all men who cross her path. Her beauty and her fetching charm draw an assortment of repressed and lonely people; Schigolch, a boozy old man who pretends he's her father, Geschwitz, a countess who has also fallen for Lulu, and Schoen, a rich tycoon who carries on an affair with Lulu even though he's to be married. His short solution is to put Lulu in his son Alwa's vaudeville show. As Alwa, too, becomes trapped in Lulu's charms, Schoen's fiancée catches Lulu and Schoen in a backstage embrace. Lulu quickly takes her place as Schoen's bride, only to drive Schoen to suicide during their wedding party. Put on trial for murder, Lulu almost gets out of it by simply batting her eyes at the prosecutor. Still, she is found guilty, and Alwa, who has grown increasingly obsessed, causes a distraction to allow Lulu's escape from the courthouse. Alwa, Lulu, and Schoen become desperate fugitives, eventually ending up in London where Lulu finally meets her match: Jack the Ripper. Pandora's Box offers pure cinematic delights--Pabst's luscious photography, the tense drama of its story line, and most impressively and importantly, Louise Brooks, who gives a performance that is certainly one of the best in the history of cinema. --Shannon Gee

See all Product Description

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

24 Reviews

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Way overdue for DVD treatment!, Feb 24 2004

By

Erroneous "Paul" (The radio wasteland of the Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pandoras Box (VHS Tape)

I watched "Diary of a Lost Girl" a while back, and absolutely cannot get Louise Brooks' face out of my mind. I'd buy "Pandora's Box" on DVD in a heartbeat! Kino and Image, are you listening?

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece, Nov 27 2002

By

D. A Wend (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Pandoras Box (VHS Tape)

G. W. Pabst was one of the greatest directors of silent films. He had a way of working with his actors, one on one, that brought out a superior performance. Had it not been for Pabst, Louise Brooks would have been just another "flapper" actress who never made it in talkies. Pandora's Box was based on the play by Frank Wedekind that had made quite an impact, and brought the character of Lulu national attention. Finding the perfect Lulu for the film version was about as complicated as locating Scarlet O'Hare. In Louise Brooks, Pabst found the innocence and beauty that the part of Lulu demands. Pandora's Box reflects the reality that was Berlin between the world wars; sex was openly for sale. Lulu is at the same time innocent and a monster. She is disconnected from her actions, as when she kills Schoen, her reaction is detached as if she was unaware a gun could kill. The men who seek her lust after Lulu but also want to destroy her.

It is interesting that all the actors involved in making Pandora's Box hated each other, and Louise Brooks, the American who was playing "our Lulu" caught the brunt of the hatred. The tension between them contributed to the feel of the movie. Certainly, this is not a movie for everyone but it is a fascinating look at a decadent time that finds a parallel in Pabst's Diary of a Lost Girl and The Joyless Street.

There seems to be an opinion that silent films are boring. Alrfred Hitchcock thought of silent films as the only example of pure cinema. Many silent movies (the movies were never silent, there always was music) have been remake as talkies but have never been able to capture the special magic that the older version. This is true of this film. Were Pandora's Box remade today we would have the violence but none of the insight.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars Silent Masterpiece., July 18 2002

By

F. Gentile (Lake Worth, Florida, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Pandoras Box (VHS Tape)

Growing up in Rochester, New York, I was lucky enough to spend many occasions at The Dryden Theater, of The George Eastman House, which has one of the largest film libraries and preservations in the world. It was there that I became acquainted with this film. It was not, however, my first introduction to Louise Brooks, though I had no idea at the time that the little old lady I used to deliver prescriptions to was an icon of the dawn of an art form. She lived a modest life in her tiny apartment on the second floor of an old Victorian house (which, at that time, was just an old house), in a run-down, dangerous, city neighborhood. And, when I was told that she had once been a famous actress, I, being the dreamer that I was, found that very glamorous and romantic. Though I would have loved to talk to her about her part in the movie world, a world I readily escaped to in order to avoid the bleakness around me, my then extreme shyness, youth, and the intimidation I now felt in her mere presence prevented me from doing so. She worked a counter at our Sibleys Department store downtown, until age and illness overcame her, and lived in almost total anonymity, forgotten. When I finally saw "Pandoras Box", in the dark on that big screen, it was with an overwhelming feeling of respect and awe at the luminous magic of this actress. Director Pabst was a mentor to Brooks as Von Stroheim was to Dietrich, and in this film he creates Brooks most famous role. Enough has been said about the plot, and the daring for that time characters. So I will only say I recommend viewing this beautiful film not only to enjoy it, but out of respect to something that deserves to be preserved. It is pleasing to see that there are apparently many who still appreciate these early works, when the art form was new, exciting, and creative, three qualities which the current movie industry is almost entirely devoid of. If you want to learn more about the legendary screen presence that was Louise Brooks, read her auto-biography "Lulu In Hollywood", or Kenneth Tynans essay on her, which was what regenerated an interest in this shamelessly forgotten star. Or, best yet, watch her films, of which "Pandoras Box" is the most classic and timeless.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 24 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 37 reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly modern Louise Brooks
I was expecting a grainy silent film with huge overacting. Nothing of the kind. The first thing that struck me was Louise reminded me of Isabella Rossellin! Read more

Published on July 2 2002 by S. Mitchell

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a finer performance anywhere at anytime
I have seen my share of silent movies and talkies from all eras but Louise Brooks had the secret on how to say so much without speaking. Read more

Published on Jun 19 2002 by Perri Lee Leuthard