GR
German Critics (initial release)
Accused the film of being a "scandalous version" of its source material, dismissing it as a "travesty" and criticizing Louise Brooks as a "non-actress."
The rise and inevitable fall of an amoral but naive young woman whose insouciant eroticism inspires lust and violence in those around her.
Directed byG.W. Pabst
Written byLadislaus Vajda, Joseph Fleisler, G.W. Pabst, Frank Wedekind
Critical Consensus
7.7
IMDb
7.5
TMDB
Upon its initial release, "Pandora's Box" was largely dismissed by critics due to controversial content and severe censorship, which resulted in truncated versions. However, it was later rediscovered and praised by film scholars, now widely considered a classic of Weimar German cinema, garnering high contemporary approval.
The Cast
Trivia
Dismissed by critics on its initial release, Pandora's Box was later rediscovered by film scholars as a classic of Weimar German cinema.
The film is notable for its lesbian subplot featuring Countess Augusta Geschwitz's attraction to Lulu, a role which actress Alice Roberts initially resisted.
Director G. W. Pabst utilized Louise Brooks' background as a dancer, choreographing her movements in each scene and limiting her to a single emotion per shot.
During filming, G. W. Pabst hired tango musicians to inspire Louise Brooks between takes and appeased Fritz Kortner, who openly disliked Brooks.
Tensions on set were so high that actor Fritz Kortner refused to speak to Louise Brooks, believing she had cast a 'blinding spell' over director Pabst.
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
IN
Irene Thirer, New York Daily News
Noted the film "suffered greatly from the edits made to what 'must have been ultra-sophisticated silent cinema in its original form'."
H
Harrower
Described the film as a "hodgepodge" offering "little entertainment," believing it was "hacked to pieces by the censors."
WV
Waly, Variety
Recognized the "ruinous effects of extensive cuts" and found Louise Brooks "attractive" but her facial expressions "often difficult to decide."
Audience
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