Poland had regained its statehood following the end of the First World War and set about rebuilding itself politically and economically, as well as culturally. The reborn nation’s film industry was part of its renewal. In his 2002 book, Polish Cinema: A History, Marek Haltof notes that Poland’s … [Read more...] about The White Trail
Asta Nielsen Debuts in The Abyss
What’s striking about the Danish actor Asta Nielsen’s debut film The Abyss, marketed in the English-speaking world in the 1910s as Woman Always Pays, is how frankly it acknowledges and depicts female desire and its costs, as the original English title makes plain. Asta’s character Magda is a … [Read more...] about Asta Nielsen Debuts in The Abyss
The Devious Path
Underrated and all but forgotten by film historians, G.W. Pabst’s The Devious Path is, on the surface, a story of marital crisis and sexual mores in Weimar Germany. Released in 1928, it is also a prime example of a post-Expressionist film that eschews distorted sets, demonic characters, and … [Read more...] about The Devious Path