Die Straße der verlorenen Seelen

Back in the days when I was a college student, Dr Paul Czinner was universally regarded as a no-talent opportunist who blandly filmed stage productions of ballet and opera which were then marketed at roadshow prices. True, Czinner's 1936 "As You Like It" was available, but it was thought to be somewhat dull.

It seems we were wrong. Dead wrong! Paul Czinner was a poet—a major poet of the cinema with a passion for creating a romantic drama with an overwhelmingly compelling atmosphere, using hauntingly scenic location imagery and super-charged studio effects.

Czinner has also taken advantage of the sound track to augment the highly engrossing appeal of his beautiful visuals. Music and songs are creatively employed. Although there is no spoken dialogue, it is not missed. Indeed speech could well have become an unwelcome intrusion. Even sub-titles are pointedly kept to a minimum. In fact, the film editing is a model of artistry and skill.

The camera focuses often on the fascinating Miss Negri, who proves more than equal to the task of making her sordid character highly sympathetic. Ward and Rehmann lend excellent support.

A film to be savored again and again!

Interesting late silent film from Pola Negri filmed in UK and released in US as THE WOMAN HE SCORNED.....

Negri plays a prostitute in a cheap saloon in a coastal village.... A lighthouse keeper (Hans Rehmann) wanders in for a drink and is spotted as an easy mark by Negri and her pimp (Warwick Ward). But after a fight and drawn knives the lighthouse man walks off, leaving Negri on the bar-room floor. The pimp is dragged away.... She races after the hero and begs him to take her away.....

He leaves her in the village but a fast-rising storm swamps his boat as he returns to the lighthouse and as he is drowning promises that if he lives he'll protect the weak..... After their marriage, Negri must learn the most rudimentary household chores but eventually the two find peace with one another.

But the pimp returns and seeks shelter in their house. Negri hides him but he is seen leaving the cottage and the police descend.

The big finale is at the lighthouse. The pimp follows her as she runs to the husband to tell him what's happened and beg forgiveness. But as she's leaving the pimp jumps out and demands money. She tells him to take her boat and is handing him cash when the husband catches them.

There is an exciting battle on the edge of a cliff but the husband has time to turn to her and call her a whore and to be gone. The police arrive and they and the hero chase the pimp while Negri jumps in her boat and heads to open sea.

Very odd film, roughly shot and edited, and it contains synchronized sound effects (music, gulls, wind) and one section where Negri hums while ironing. But the opening in the saloon is exceptionally realistic and Negri, though never a favorite of mine, is very very good. She's tough as nails in the opening sequence, funny while attempting to cook breakfast, and touching when she removes the harsh makeup and dons a new scarf, and realizes that she is young and pretty and happy....

Certainly worth a look.....

Pola's film she made in the UK after leaving Hollywood. The print that exists now has French Titles (the French Title of the movie is Notre Dernier Tango (Our Last Tango) which makes absolutely no sense what so ever - neither does the American Title The Woman He Scorned. The English title is the only one that even partially applies to this movie.

Regardless of title problems it is a beautiful film with a rather decent synchronized sound effects track and even a small section where you hear Pola humming a song. The cinematography is very good on this picture and the film composition as a whole is very good. Even if you don't read French, you should still be able to understand this movie. Hopefully someone will release it with restored english intertitles.

I was very impressed with the photography and the poetic nature of the film. Pola's performance was great a tour de force. The scenes in the dance hall were so incredibly realistic you felt like you were there. The soundtrack was very good. A real gem of a movie.