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Cinema of Fritz Lang
Film Studies, Media Studies, Motion Picture Studies, Cinema, Communications
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 13, 2021
Written in 1969, whilst Lang was still alive, although no longer making films, this gives a detailed insight into the Director's work and an indication of his influence.
What I do like is that Jensen pulls no punches, if Lang did a bad job, he calls it; if Lang did the best he could with mediocre material, then he's quick to shine the light on the failings around him. This is where the story of Fritz Lang has many parallels with that of Orson Welles - both were capable of much more than they did, but were never given the chance to do so after their initial successes. Of course there are many differences here - Lang fled Europe, Welles fled to Europe; Lang tried to fit in with the American studios, whereas Welles fought against them...what is undeniable is that they both left behind some of the greatest works cinema has ever known.
Despite is cultural status, Jensen points out the many flaws with 'Metropolis' and it's 'M' that is held as the masterpiece of the post silent era ('Die Nibelungen' receiving an equal amount of praise for it's vision, despite being all but forgotten outside of film circles). What is fascinating is the overview of all the different cuts and versions of the films; how huge edits were made for the US market, leaving films almost non sensical - again the Welles parallel returns.
I must go back to my Masters of Cinema blu-rays, with all the massive restoration work that these magnificent people have achieved, and compare what I am watching now, with the prints that Jensen would have been familiar with. 'Spione' has been an absolute treat to discover (and again Jensen cannot praise this highly enough despite it being one of the lesser talked about films) and, almost 100 years after it was made, 'M' is still one of the greatest films ever made.
Are we due for a re-appraisal of Lang? Overdue, I would say...
What I do like is that Jensen pulls no punches, if Lang did a bad job, he calls it; if Lang did the best he could with mediocre material, then he's quick to shine the light on the failings around him. This is where the story of Fritz Lang has many parallels with that of Orson Welles - both were capable of much more than they did, but were never given the chance to do so after their initial successes. Of course there are many differences here - Lang fled Europe, Welles fled to Europe; Lang tried to fit in with the American studios, whereas Welles fought against them...what is undeniable is that they both left behind some of the greatest works cinema has ever known.
Despite is cultural status, Jensen points out the many flaws with 'Metropolis' and it's 'M' that is held as the masterpiece of the post silent era ('Die Nibelungen' receiving an equal amount of praise for it's vision, despite being all but forgotten outside of film circles). What is fascinating is the overview of all the different cuts and versions of the films; how huge edits were made for the US market, leaving films almost non sensical - again the Welles parallel returns.
I must go back to my Masters of Cinema blu-rays, with all the massive restoration work that these magnificent people have achieved, and compare what I am watching now, with the prints that Jensen would have been familiar with. 'Spione' has been an absolute treat to discover (and again Jensen cannot praise this highly enough despite it being one of the lesser talked about films) and, almost 100 years after it was made, 'M' is still one of the greatest films ever made.
Are we due for a re-appraisal of Lang? Overdue, I would say...
January 8, 2023
Depois de ler de Caligari a Hitler de Kracauer que, apesar de seu mérito como um ótimo panorama do cinema alemão, deixa a desejar ao comentar sobre alguns diretores. Um deles sendo Fritz Lang. Por isso, é elemental que Jensen, ao escrever um livro dedicado ao mesmo, refutaria os rasos pontos apresentados por Kracauer anteriormente.
Lang não foi apenas um diretor que flertou com as formas expressionistas, mas também permitiu seus filmes se transformarem após sua mudança para Hollywood.
De Metrópolis a M, os sets e composições visuais são com certeza o ponto alto de seus filmes. Dos sets extremamente complexos que compõem a futurística cidade de Metropolis, até o uso das sombras e do som como protagonistas na forma de apresentar a narrativa.
Com certeza esse livro me fez aprofundar melhor na forma de se fazer cinema que Lang aborda. Certamente ele está entre os meus diretores favoritos agora que eu me aprofundei em seus filmes.
Lang não foi apenas um diretor que flertou com as formas expressionistas, mas também permitiu seus filmes se transformarem após sua mudança para Hollywood.
De Metrópolis a M, os sets e composições visuais são com certeza o ponto alto de seus filmes. Dos sets extremamente complexos que compõem a futurística cidade de Metropolis, até o uso das sombras e do som como protagonistas na forma de apresentar a narrativa.
Com certeza esse livro me fez aprofundar melhor na forma de se fazer cinema que Lang aborda. Certamente ele está entre os meus diretores favoritos agora que eu me aprofundei em seus filmes.
March 4, 2019
It's funny how film criticism written prior to video tapes and DVDs seems so much more authoritarian that today's criticism. Jensen could safely assume most of his readers would not have seem many (most) of the films he describes. In today's environment writer and reader each have easier access to the films, and thus can be fellow fanboys sharing insights and best scenes, rather than the teacher/student dynamic.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews