Pandora's Box (1929) - full transcript
Lulu is a beautiful young woman who can seemingly work her charms on all of the men around her. She is currently being kept by the rich editor Dr. Ludwig Schön. She is just a plaything however and he is engaged to be married to Charlotte, a woman of his own class. He arranges for Lulu to appear in his son Alwa's musical revue and he too falls for all of her charms. When Dr. Schön and his fiancée go to the theater, Lulu ensures that he is put in a compromising situation and the elder Schön feels he now must marry her, knowing full well it will ruin his reputation. On his wedding day, Dr. Schön reaches his breaking point. His actions cost him his life however and Lulu is convicted of manslaughter. She escapes with the help of her old cronies but together they begin a downward spiral.
The restoration of this film
was supported by the Initiative for
Digitization of the Federal Government's
Representative for Culture and Media,
after a resolution
of the German Parliament.
Pandora's Box premiered on February 9, 1929
in Berlin and wasn't a success at the time.
The film became famous after the rediscovery
of Louise Brooks in the 1950s, initiated by
her admirers Henri Langlois of the Cinémathèque
Française and James Card of Eastman House.
As far as we know,
neither the original negative nor a print
has been preserved from
the year of its production.
The only material available are prints made in the
1950s and 1960s from heavily damaged negatives.
The only way to show Pabst's images again
in their original beauty was digital restoration.
Three surviving prints
were put at our disposition:
a negative, made in 1952
by the Cinémathèque Française,
a print of 1970 from the
Gosfilmofond of Russia
and a print of 1964 from the
Národní Filmový Archive in Prague.
The prints were given to us by those
archives and the Cinecitta di Bologna.
Combining those three prints, it was
possible to restore the sequence of Pabst's
famous flowing montage and to replace the
missing frames and scenes as far as possibe.
With digital restoration we tried to match
the photographic characteristics
of the different material in
order to create a stylistic whole.
Some damages still remain,
for the time being.
From the restored version we made 35mm
negatives and prints, as well as a digital copy.
The editing follows closely a working print
Enno Patalas made in the 1980s
for the Munich Film Museum.
The intertitles are from a list Gero Gandert
found in the Swedish Riksarkivet.
Recommended projecting speed: 20 fps
PANDORA'S BOX
Variations on the theme of Frank Wedekind's
LULU
Screenplay by LADISLAUS VAJDA
Production Manager GEORG C. HORSETZKY
Directed by GEORG WILHELM PABST
ACT ONE
You've done well for yourself!
We haven't seen each other
in such a long time!
Are you still dancing?
You've forgotten everything.
You should have stayed with me.
In that old garret?
I'd have run away for sure.
This newspaper editor Dr. Schön
looks after you nicely,
but one friend
doesn't guarantee our future.
We must put you on the stage
for all the world to see!
And I've brought
just the man to do that.
His name is Rodrigo Quast, and he wants
to stage a big variety act with you.
Dr. Schön is coming!
I'm getting married!
You won't kiss me
just because you're getting married?
The whole town is talking about us.
I'm jeopardizing my position.
Don't you see
that we must put an end to this?
You'll have to kill me
to get rid of me.
He was my first... patron!
One did the best that one could.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
"Minister of the Interior
Dr. von Zarnikow wishes to announce
the marriage of his daughter,
Charlotte Marie Adelaide,
to Dr. Ludwig Schön,
Editor in Chief."
I'm warning you again, my child:
Dr. Schön's behavior
makes this marriage impossible!
Don't worry, Father.
I don't care about gossip!
Alwa, here are the costume designs
for your revue!
How's Lulu?
Father must give her up.
His marriage can't be
postponed any longer.
The famous Rodrigo Quast wants to do
a big variety number with me!
We're already rehearsing!
Alwa is my best friend,
the only one who never wants
anything from me.
Or do you want nothing from me
because you don't love me?
My dear Geschwitz, you must design
a costume like that for me too!
Is she really this beautiful?
I thought I told you
never to visit me!
I didn't come to see you!
Please get me volume K
of the dictionary.
Then it's settled -
come see me tomorrow.
Why don't you marry Lulu, Father?
One doesn't marry such women!
It would be suicide!
What did she want here?
I believe she wants
to break into show business.
Someone wants to stage
a trapeze act with her.
No, not a trapeze act!
She'll appear in your revue.
She can dance a bit.
My newspaper will guarantee her success.
Just one thing, my boy:
Beware of that woman!
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
Nonsense! You should have done
the trapeze act with me!
I'm not going on!
You must talk some sense into her!
Maybe we'll do
that variety number after all!
I'll dance for the whole world,
but not for that woman!
Tell them to start!
Where's Lulu?
No smoking here!
Satisfied now, Alwa?
Now I'll marry Lulu!
It'll be the death of me!
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
I'd be a real scoundrel
if I didn't lay a rose
on my little Lulu's bridal bed!
Father, I'm going away tonight...
for a long time.
He's my father!
If only you'd come with me!
I can't live without you any longer!
You'll miss your train!
Take it!
Kill yourself!
Kill yourself
so that you don't drive me
to murder as well!
END OF ACT FOUR
ACT FIVE
Your Honors...
I've painted a bleak picture
of a tragic life.
Gentlemen of the jury,
look at this woman.
Have I not shown
that this woman did not commit murder,
that her husband was the victim
of tragic circumstances?
Has the son of the deceased
not spoken in her defense?
No, this unfortunate woman
is no murderess.
You must acquit her,
for she is innocent!
Your Honors
and gentlemen of the jury!
The Greek gods created
a woman - Pandora.
She was beautiful and charming,
and versed in the art of flattery.
But the gods also gave her a box
containing all the evils of the world.
The heedless woman opened the box,
and all evil was loosed upon us.
Counsel, you portray the accused
as a persecuted innocent.
I call her Pandora, for through her
all evil was brought upon Dr. Schön!
The arguments of defense counsel
do not sway me in the least.
I demand the death penalty!
Counselor, do you know
what would have become of your wife
if as a child she'd had to spend
her nights in cheap cafés?
is sentenced to five years
in prison for manslaughter,
minus 4 1/2 months
for time already served.
Fire!
Fire!
END OF ACT FIVE
ACT SIX
PASSPORT - ALWA SCHÖN
How dare you come here?!
Where else
should I go but home?
If you feel at home here,
where my father bled to death,
then I must leave!
Is this the state prosecutor's office?
Please give me Prosecutor von Bodungen!
This is Alwa Schön.
Any news on the escapee?
We'll go away together.
Countess Geschwitz
will lend me her passport.
PASSPORT -
COUNTESS AUGUSTA GESCHWITZ
I have the lady's baggage.
5,000 MARKS REWARD
"RECEIVED WITH THANKS -
MARQUIS CASTI PIANI"
May I prove my friendship
by offering some good advice?
Don't go to Paris - too many prying eyes.
Come with me instead.
I know a place
that's hospitable and discreet.
END OF ACT SIX
ACT SEVEN
And Lulu's stayed here
the whole three months?
It's a fine hotel -
hospitable and discreet!
What can I say?
It's our livelihood.
I just got engaged.
I'm going to stage a fantastic
variety act with my fiancée.
We just need 20,000 francs
for sets and costumes.
You must get me that money!
Ask Alwa for it.
Perhaps he won today.
If I could just keep on playing,
I'd win it all back.
That lucky devil gets everything!
You should only play
when you're sure you'll win.
How much?
300 pounds!
The German police would give me
250 pounds any day.
Three hundred it is, then.
I'll go book a cabin.
He's acting like he wants to buy me.
I need money badly,
and you have none to give me.
The Egyptian will give me
50 pounds more than the German police.
You're in luck!
I'm looking out for your future.
The police will never look for you
at his establishment in Cairo.
Hurry and get dressed.
You leave in an hour.
I won't be sold.
That's worse than prison.
I need the money.
If you're not ready in an hour,
I'm calling the police!
Alwa, you have to win...
or else I'm done for.
I'm warning you: If I don't have
those 20,000 francs by tonight,
I'm turning you in!
Money... they all want money!
Go ahead and cry, my child.
Rodrigo wants to turn me in.
Save me!
I'll take care of him!
I know how we can all
get out of this mess.
Countess Geschwitz is sweet on you,
and she has money.
Be nice to her
and she'll cough up the dough for sure.
You're the only one
who can save me!
Rodrigo is madly in love with you!
Throw yourself at him.
He'll do anything for you.
Otherwise he'll turn me in!
Calm down, my dear.
You'll soon have your money!
Police!
Let's get out of here!
I'll get a boat!
Police! Police!
We must find a ship
to take us to London!
END OF ACT SEVEN
ACT EIGHT
We take only to give to others.
Brother, how can I help you?
No one can help me!
It's strange how you can get
booze on credit...
but not bread.
Why all the paint?
We like you just the way you are.
Too bad. I'd have liked to taste
Christmas pudding once more before I die.
WARNING TO THE WOMEN OF LONDON!
FOR SOME TIME NOW...
A MAN HAS BEEN LURING
WOMEN INTO DARK PLACES
IN ORDER TO MURDER THEM.
WOMEN AND GIRLS SHOULD NOT
GO OUT UNACCOMPANIED AT NIGHT.
I have no money!
Come along anyway.
I like you!
You're under the mistletoe.
You must let me kiss you.
was supported by the Initiative for
Digitization of the Federal Government's
Representative for Culture and Media,
after a resolution
of the German Parliament.
Pandora's Box premiered on February 9, 1929
in Berlin and wasn't a success at the time.
The film became famous after the rediscovery
of Louise Brooks in the 1950s, initiated by
her admirers Henri Langlois of the Cinémathèque
Française and James Card of Eastman House.
As far as we know,
neither the original negative nor a print
has been preserved from
the year of its production.
The only material available are prints made in the
1950s and 1960s from heavily damaged negatives.
The only way to show Pabst's images again
in their original beauty was digital restoration.
Three surviving prints
were put at our disposition:
a negative, made in 1952
by the Cinémathèque Française,
a print of 1970 from the
Gosfilmofond of Russia
and a print of 1964 from the
Národní Filmový Archive in Prague.
The prints were given to us by those
archives and the Cinecitta di Bologna.
Combining those three prints, it was
possible to restore the sequence of Pabst's
famous flowing montage and to replace the
missing frames and scenes as far as possibe.
With digital restoration we tried to match
the photographic characteristics
of the different material in
order to create a stylistic whole.
Some damages still remain,
for the time being.
From the restored version we made 35mm
negatives and prints, as well as a digital copy.
The editing follows closely a working print
Enno Patalas made in the 1980s
for the Munich Film Museum.
The intertitles are from a list Gero Gandert
found in the Swedish Riksarkivet.
Recommended projecting speed: 20 fps
PANDORA'S BOX
Variations on the theme of Frank Wedekind's
LULU
Screenplay by LADISLAUS VAJDA
Production Manager GEORG C. HORSETZKY
Directed by GEORG WILHELM PABST
ACT ONE
You've done well for yourself!
We haven't seen each other
in such a long time!
Are you still dancing?
You've forgotten everything.
You should have stayed with me.
In that old garret?
I'd have run away for sure.
This newspaper editor Dr. Schön
looks after you nicely,
but one friend
doesn't guarantee our future.
We must put you on the stage
for all the world to see!
And I've brought
just the man to do that.
His name is Rodrigo Quast, and he wants
to stage a big variety act with you.
Dr. Schön is coming!
I'm getting married!
You won't kiss me
just because you're getting married?
The whole town is talking about us.
I'm jeopardizing my position.
Don't you see
that we must put an end to this?
You'll have to kill me
to get rid of me.
He was my first... patron!
One did the best that one could.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
"Minister of the Interior
Dr. von Zarnikow wishes to announce
the marriage of his daughter,
Charlotte Marie Adelaide,
to Dr. Ludwig Schön,
Editor in Chief."
I'm warning you again, my child:
Dr. Schön's behavior
makes this marriage impossible!
Don't worry, Father.
I don't care about gossip!
Alwa, here are the costume designs
for your revue!
How's Lulu?
Father must give her up.
His marriage can't be
postponed any longer.
The famous Rodrigo Quast wants to do
a big variety number with me!
We're already rehearsing!
Alwa is my best friend,
the only one who never wants
anything from me.
Or do you want nothing from me
because you don't love me?
My dear Geschwitz, you must design
a costume like that for me too!
Is she really this beautiful?
I thought I told you
never to visit me!
I didn't come to see you!
Please get me volume K
of the dictionary.
Then it's settled -
come see me tomorrow.
Why don't you marry Lulu, Father?
One doesn't marry such women!
It would be suicide!
What did she want here?
I believe she wants
to break into show business.
Someone wants to stage
a trapeze act with her.
No, not a trapeze act!
She'll appear in your revue.
She can dance a bit.
My newspaper will guarantee her success.
Just one thing, my boy:
Beware of that woman!
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
Nonsense! You should have done
the trapeze act with me!
I'm not going on!
You must talk some sense into her!
Maybe we'll do
that variety number after all!
I'll dance for the whole world,
but not for that woman!
Tell them to start!
Where's Lulu?
No smoking here!
Satisfied now, Alwa?
Now I'll marry Lulu!
It'll be the death of me!
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
I'd be a real scoundrel
if I didn't lay a rose
on my little Lulu's bridal bed!
Father, I'm going away tonight...
for a long time.
He's my father!
If only you'd come with me!
I can't live without you any longer!
You'll miss your train!
Take it!
Kill yourself!
Kill yourself
so that you don't drive me
to murder as well!
END OF ACT FOUR
ACT FIVE
Your Honors...
I've painted a bleak picture
of a tragic life.
Gentlemen of the jury,
look at this woman.
Have I not shown
that this woman did not commit murder,
that her husband was the victim
of tragic circumstances?
Has the son of the deceased
not spoken in her defense?
No, this unfortunate woman
is no murderess.
You must acquit her,
for she is innocent!
Your Honors
and gentlemen of the jury!
The Greek gods created
a woman - Pandora.
She was beautiful and charming,
and versed in the art of flattery.
But the gods also gave her a box
containing all the evils of the world.
The heedless woman opened the box,
and all evil was loosed upon us.
Counsel, you portray the accused
as a persecuted innocent.
I call her Pandora, for through her
all evil was brought upon Dr. Schön!
The arguments of defense counsel
do not sway me in the least.
I demand the death penalty!
Counselor, do you know
what would have become of your wife
if as a child she'd had to spend
her nights in cheap cafés?
is sentenced to five years
in prison for manslaughter,
minus 4 1/2 months
for time already served.
Fire!
Fire!
END OF ACT FIVE
ACT SIX
PASSPORT - ALWA SCHÖN
How dare you come here?!
Where else
should I go but home?
If you feel at home here,
where my father bled to death,
then I must leave!
Is this the state prosecutor's office?
Please give me Prosecutor von Bodungen!
This is Alwa Schön.
Any news on the escapee?
We'll go away together.
Countess Geschwitz
will lend me her passport.
PASSPORT -
COUNTESS AUGUSTA GESCHWITZ
I have the lady's baggage.
5,000 MARKS REWARD
"RECEIVED WITH THANKS -
MARQUIS CASTI PIANI"
May I prove my friendship
by offering some good advice?
Don't go to Paris - too many prying eyes.
Come with me instead.
I know a place
that's hospitable and discreet.
END OF ACT SIX
ACT SEVEN
And Lulu's stayed here
the whole three months?
It's a fine hotel -
hospitable and discreet!
What can I say?
It's our livelihood.
I just got engaged.
I'm going to stage a fantastic
variety act with my fiancée.
We just need 20,000 francs
for sets and costumes.
You must get me that money!
Ask Alwa for it.
Perhaps he won today.
If I could just keep on playing,
I'd win it all back.
That lucky devil gets everything!
You should only play
when you're sure you'll win.
How much?
300 pounds!
The German police would give me
250 pounds any day.
Three hundred it is, then.
I'll go book a cabin.
He's acting like he wants to buy me.
I need money badly,
and you have none to give me.
The Egyptian will give me
50 pounds more than the German police.
You're in luck!
I'm looking out for your future.
The police will never look for you
at his establishment in Cairo.
Hurry and get dressed.
You leave in an hour.
I won't be sold.
That's worse than prison.
I need the money.
If you're not ready in an hour,
I'm calling the police!
Alwa, you have to win...
or else I'm done for.
I'm warning you: If I don't have
those 20,000 francs by tonight,
I'm turning you in!
Money... they all want money!
Go ahead and cry, my child.
Rodrigo wants to turn me in.
Save me!
I'll take care of him!
I know how we can all
get out of this mess.
Countess Geschwitz is sweet on you,
and she has money.
Be nice to her
and she'll cough up the dough for sure.
You're the only one
who can save me!
Rodrigo is madly in love with you!
Throw yourself at him.
He'll do anything for you.
Otherwise he'll turn me in!
Calm down, my dear.
You'll soon have your money!
Police!
Let's get out of here!
I'll get a boat!
Police! Police!
We must find a ship
to take us to London!
END OF ACT SEVEN
ACT EIGHT
We take only to give to others.
Brother, how can I help you?
No one can help me!
It's strange how you can get
booze on credit...
but not bread.
Why all the paint?
We like you just the way you are.
Too bad. I'd have liked to taste
Christmas pudding once more before I die.
WARNING TO THE WOMEN OF LONDON!
FOR SOME TIME NOW...
A MAN HAS BEEN LURING
WOMEN INTO DARK PLACES
IN ORDER TO MURDER THEM.
WOMEN AND GIRLS SHOULD NOT
GO OUT UNACCOMPANIED AT NIGHT.
I have no money!
Come along anyway.
I like you!
You're under the mistletoe.
You must let me kiss you.