Clevercell Very disappointing...

Console best movie i've ever seen.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Die Büchse der Pandora" or "Pandora's Box" is a 1929 black-and-white silent movie, so this one is already over 85 years old. It stars Louise Brooks, a dark-haired actress, who is probably more known today than she was back then. Despite being American-born she starred several times in the films of Georg Wilhelm Pabst, one of Germany's top silent film directors. Unfortunately, I cannot appreciate this film here as much as most others do judging from the movie's IMDb rating. It has an interesting premise, especially taking into account when it was made, but that's also it pretty much. There are a couple fine scenes in here, but it's not even close to being enough for a film that runs considerable over 2 hours. I was pretty much bored by it I have to say and it also did not help that I found the main character very uninteresting despite how hard they tried to make her as interesting and controversial as possible. Then again, I am not the greatest silent film fan out there, so I may be a bit biased, but nonetheless there are a handful of films from the silent era that I managed to appreciate a lot more than this one. Then again, there's also some that I liked even less, such as the Mabuse film for example. As a whole, this may have been a much better watch at 80 minutes perhaps, but for this massive duration the material simply wasn't enough. An epitome of how quality does not match quantity. Not recommended.

g s Even though this film is brilliant, extraordinary, in every respect, it is sinister for other reasons. it is a propaganda piece through and through. other users don't attribute to the menorah its obvious significance - it denotes who is Jewish. since it is prominent and merely background just after the two minute mark of the very first act it's not a spoiler. It is worth pointing out what another IMDb user shrewdly notice and pointed out which might utterly defeat this notion - that the menorah depicted is not a Jewish menorah - it is neither a seven-armed temple menorah nor an eight-armed menorah of Hanukah which would have an additional higher place - and of course Pabst would have been aware - I cede that. Still, when I regard the image, it is so striking, and the motif of jews everywhere is either a menorah or a star, so I suggest that the menorah is suggestive nonetheless - and that is its whole point - to cast a shadow. Fact is that in this period following WW I the new Weimar government entered into the treaty of Versailles, casting lots of restrictions on Germany and obliging Germany to pay huge reparations, particularly to France. So this questioning arose premised on the superiority of Germans - how could Germans - noble, hardworking, faultless, superior - how could Germans have been defeated? Since there could be no more powerful foe, the enemy, such inquiry reasoned, resided within - what would constitute the 'stab in the back.' this line of inquiry looks to blame Germany's disgrace on anything but military prowess - what was the source of moral turpitude? cowardice? profiteering? scheming? plotting? seduction? wantonness? cheating? what could possibly have hobbled noble Germany's exalted aspirations? The source of some sort of inner degredation this was projected onto Jews, finding expression in antisemitism that was gaining traction and found a central place in Hitler's Mein Kampf.The proto-Nazi stereotype applied to the character of Schigolch is not subtle, and considering the relationship between him and Lulu ... well, you don't have to agree with this thesis, but you can't ignore it.A great study of stereotypes.

evening1 Lulu grew up in horrible conditions and the only person who comes close to a father figure is an alcoholic pimp. "Too bad," he tells her as Jack the Ripper roams the dusky alleyways of London and they both are starving, "I'd have liked to taste Christmas pudding one more time before I die." Played with incredible sex appeal by Louise Brooks (herself sexually abused as a child, according to Wikipedia), Lulu tries to get by as long as possible banking on her pretty face and adorable figure. Sex gets her everything she wants till she accidentally kills her sugar daddy (the handsome older actor Fritz Kortner). Once this wealthy, sophisticated but ultimately dumb benefactor is out of the picture, Lulu can no longer run away from life's harsh realities. Turning to the only means of survival she has ever known, she becomes a sitting duck for the worst that life has to offer. Having absolutely no compass for trustworthiness -- how could she? -- she trusts the wrong guy. What are we to take from this grim tale? Must birth be destiny? Is life a mere rehearsal for disaster? Let's hope not. Whatever one's circumstances, we can try to lead an examined life and establish a reliable, legal way to earn one's bread. Poor Lulu. Poor Countess Geschwitz (compellingly played by Alice Roberts). I hope this movie lives forever. It's important viewing.

earlytalkie Here is a film that I had never seen until recently. "Pandora's Box" stars the legendary Louise Brooks as the ultimate Femme Fatale. She is gorgeous and a splendid actress. This film was based on two plays that were performed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Having read a book about Miss Brooks, it was astonishing to discover what a normal, yet intelligent woman she was. She gave up her budding stardom after a disagreement with Paramount Pictures effectively blacklisted her, banishing her to ever more trivial roles, ending with a 1938 Republic western co-starring Johyn Wayne. That aside, there is much to admire in "Pandora's Box". The DVD comes with your choice of several music scores, and the film transfer is excellent. Do not miss "Pandora's Box."