Romeo und Julia im Schnee

Do like very much to love a good deal of Ernst Lubitsch's later films and his distinctive directing style. His older films are also worth seeing, even though he had not fully evolved as a director yet at this point on the most part. Also was very interested as to how a comical version, or more like variation, of one of Shakespeare's most famous works and one of the most famous tragedies in literature, would fare and Lubitsch on paper sounded an intriguing choice of director to take it on.

He does so laudably. 'Romeo and Juliet in the Snow' is nowhere near one of his best and is far from perfect. It is though towards being one of his better early pictures, or more like high middle, rather than being towards the bottom. The premise works very well on the most part and is not near as distasteful as one might fear reading the premise, fearing that 'Romeo and Juliet' and comedy (which is of the broad kind here) would not gel. It actually in my opinion just about does.

'Romeo and Juliet in the Snow' has beautiful scenery first and foremost, as well as wonderfully extravagant costumes. Beautifully enhanced by the far from primitive photography. Especially at the costume ball. It is very entertaining throughout, the comedy is broad but is also a lot of fun and not repetitive or too silly.

The story is immensely charming and never felt dull or stagy, treating the subject tastefully. Despite being a comical variation of a tragedy, the source material isn't hugely disrespected and the treatment of it is always easy to follow and fun. Gustav von Wagenheim and Lotte Neumann are appealing as the lovers and have an affectionate and always believable chemistry.

Did think though that 'Romeo and Juliet in the Snow' is a little too short, with fifteen minutes more the ending may have been a little better rounded off. Did also find the ending a bit rushed and pat, though at least it was in keeping with the tone of the film.

Leads aside, some of the rest of the acting is on the histrionic side which did make some of the conflict a touch over the top.

On the whole, quite good. 7/10

We in the United States most likely know Ernst Lubitsch as the director of "Ninotchka" or other comedies from the '30s and '40s, with his brand of humor often centering on possible innuendos (if we know about him at all). We might not have known that he had a career in Germany originally. He started out directing short features, usually comedies.

One was "Romeo und Julia im Schnee" ("Romeo and Juliet in the Snow" in English). This adaptation of Shakespeare's play about love amid familial hostility sets the action in a German village in midwinter. True, we'll probably find it odd to see the story in such a location, but Lubitsch keeps the action going with his unique brand of humor. The best adaptation remains Franco Zefferelli's 1968 movie, but fans of early cinema will probably enjoy this quirky version. Available on Wikipedia.

The Capulethofer and the Montekugerl are two Teutonic families who are enemies because of an old dispute that even the courts couldn't resolve. This feud affects the younger members of the families as well, natürlich! Complications arise when young Romeo ( Herr Gustav von Wangenheim ), Herr Montekugerl's son , comes back home after some years of absence. He falls madly in love with Julia ( Frau Lotte Neumann ) ,Herr Capulethofer's daughter. This makes the enmity between the families even worse and Frau Julia is forced into an engagement with an innocent and clumsy boy. Desperate and seeing no hope that their families will ever understand them, the lovers decide upon a terrible solution: they will end their lives with poison.

Probably those learned longhaired youngsters who have read this Herr Graf's synopsis of this film named "Romeo Und Julia Im Schnee" ( Romeo And Julia In The Snow ), directed by Herr Ernst Lubitsch in the silent year of 1920, will know that it is not an original story by the German director but a free adaptation of the classic Shakespearian play "Romeo And Juliet". Of course, Herr Shakespeare himself was not adverse to borrowing stories from others for his own purposes and Herr Lubitsch was no different, having done adaptations of "Carmen" from Herr Prosper Mérimée's novel , the opera "Don César de Bazán" and Herr Oscar Wilde play "Lady Windermere's Fan" and handling all of them in his own original style, achieving marvellous films full of wit, irony, irreverence and laced with the particular Germanic sense of humor and sarcastic gags.

For example, Her Lubistch introduces to the audience the origins of the enmity among Montekugerls and Capulethofers with a clever prologue wherein the Verona families in Herr Shakespeare original manuscript become genuine Teutonic families who live in a typical snowy German village; A sibylline and wonderful gag in this part of the film finds both families trying to bribe the judge with two similar big sausages. The sarcastic judge resolves the complicated issue by weighing both sausages in the scales of the symbol of justice and deciding in favour of the Capulethofers because their sausage is heavier.

The film continues along the same lines with both families caricatured in an hilarious way. Funny too is the masked ball sequence where Romeo fools both Julia's father as well as her naive fiancée so he can be with his beloved. Then there is the climax where the distraught lovers decide to take their lives and repair to an apothecary to buy the poison (he actually just gives them a mixture of sugar and water). They find they don't have any money but the sardonic apothecary just tells them, "Pay me some other time." "Romeo Und Julia Im Schnee" is another delicious Herr Lubitsch early silent film, remarkable and original ( with Herr Shakespeare's permission ) and a good example of a drama being effectively turned into a comedy thanks to the artistry and genius of the director.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must court his own Teutonic Juliet.

A broad parody of the Romeo and Juliet story. Set in a 19'th century Alpine village, Romeo and Juliet love each other but they can't marry because their families are feuding. Unlike Shakespeare, there's a happy ending.

Plenty of low humor. Nice sets and costumes. The best costumes were for scenes at a costume ball.