Der Schatz

"Your treasure house is within; it contains all you'll ever need" (Hui Hai referring to the words of St Isaac of Syria)

Georg Wilhelm Pabst along with F.W. Murnau, Fritz Lang and Ernst Lubitsch belonged to the pioneering German directors. Having performed at Neue Wiener Buehne in Vienna and having worked as an assistant to Carl Froehlich, he pursued his style from the core of German Expressionism, which, on the one hand, had some common features with the Swedish cinema and, on the other hand, proved exceptional vitality and creativity hardly compared to anything else. DER SCHATZ, a film considered to be a true product of the movement, marked Pabst's directorial debut. Unfortunately, since the movie neither offers any unique features nor does it stand out among other Expressionist films (similar sentiments echo in many of these films, some widely acclaimed as 'masterpieces'), it has been often overlooked or skipped by many, even knowledgeable film scholars (a number of reviews also proves that fact). Justly so?

Divided into 5 Acts, it tells a simple story ornamented with real treasures that cinema could ever offer to its audiences. An image of an old house of a bell maker is what we see at the opening sequence...an image of the same house (in a totally different condition) is what we find in the finale...in between, an uncomplicated nature of the plot strangely makes everything ambiguous, magnetizing, chaotic at certain moments and yet perfectly framed. What we soon find out appears to be a fact that deeply addresses the European reality affected fully by historical background: the house is a special place which was saved during the siege of Vienna (the failed conquest of the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 17th century) and contains a TREASURE. Consequently, as a location, it appears to be a protagonist of this gloomy, atmospheric silent movie which, in its use of light and shadow, figures and mystery bears resemblance with such masterpieces of THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI or Murnau's NOSFERATU. What is there in between the opening and closing...of the house's image?

People and the duality of their nature...their worlds exposed by the letters of desires. The elderly among the characters are dominated undeniably by male characters with a deliberate archaic flair in looks and behaviors: the bell maker Svetocar Badali played by Albert Steinrueck and Svetelenz played by Werner Krauss. They are supposed to understand their roots better than the young who 'never think alike' (note the family scenes at the table strikingly similar to a scene in Mauritz Stiller's SIR ARNE'S TREASURE) and they begin a desperate search for the treasure, each in his own way until they find themselves on the verge of some diabolical obsession which has no limit of nerves or emotions. In this way, they symbolize the inability to live something which is inside them but, practically, they only rely on the treasure outside. The OUTSIDE WORLD becomes an ultimate goal, the idol for them, they know nothing of themselves but seem to compete. They represent the decadence of the generation and greed that cannot allow people to see deeper into reality. As a result, they become a root of destruction for the house, a destruction from within. Does the discovery make them happy?

The young, a couple in love: Beate (Lucie Mannheim) and Arno (Hans Brausewetter), follow absolutely different motives. Unlike the enslaved hearts of their 'predecessors', they have another treasure to find and have for good...Their hearts are illumined because their treasure is love which sets them free. Foremost they underline or even stand for all that is within a person. The INSIDE WORLD is something they dwell in. They appear to be the opposite of the older generation in all aspects of life, particularly in the perception of identity and sexuality. Not to spoil much about the content, the moral seems to be simple at first sight, though, if you consider it more insightfully, it proves to be quite tricky and ambiguous. Sexuality which is almost personified thanks to the use of images appears to be very very modern in this movie, a revolution for the early 1920s.

Another aspect of this 'modern approach' is the fusion of human features - positive and negative features - there are no black or white, baddies or goodies but quite sophisticated characters who tempt viewers towards unlocking the doors of psychoanalysis. But in my review, I would like to concentrate on yet something else that makes this rather short movie (running sole 80 minutes) an unforgettable viewing experience.

DER SCHATZ stirs imagination and provokes different interpretations better than anything else because it is a real feast of images. First, the images, like the thoughts, are predominantly based on almost medieval contrast - while the 3 elderly characters appear mostly within the dark walls of the house, the young appear in a temple of nature with broad possibilities and promising prospects. The house with its shadowy corners, atmospheric staircases and lovely tree roots may stand for a serpent like captivity while flowers, butterflies,) and nature in general clearly stands for freedom. Mind you that we quite often see the butterfly in their mutual scenes. In many cultures, the butterfly is identified with the soul, with the inner life. "The treasure house is within...' them. Now the question is if you perceive it as desires or lusts; platonic idealism or Freudian stimulus and response. Idyllic utopia vs. gloomy walls; heavy iron vs. light butterflies, light vs. shadow.. The cameraman Otto Tober, with the use of figures (so often duplicated in many other films reaching the climax, perhaps in Von Sternberg's THE SCARLETT EMPRESS), contributes beautifully to the film's mood. Full credit to Max Deutsch for his lovely score, one of the first ever found in film.

DER SCHATZ – THE TREASURE worth searching among the most intriguing, memorable silent films.

This is very different from Pabst's later and more famous films, Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl. It's more in line with the other German Expressionist stuff of the period: gothic, shadowy, sort of ponderous, and with a simple moral message. But there's also some humor, so it's not as totally downbeat as some of the other German silents. The acting's stylized, mildly hysterical, but in a good sort of way--plenty of maniacal laughter and such. I saw it without English intertitles (and with very limited, maybe 20-30%, comprehension of German), and it was still quite understandable and quite watchable.

8/10.

Georg Wilhelm Pabst was a giant in early German cinema. His first movie as a head director was February 1923's "The Treasure." The debut movie of his contains elements of Expressionism, but it also shows touches of realism and naturalism that Pabst was famous for in his later works, such as 1929's 'Pandora's Box.'

G. W. Pabst, the abbreviated form of his name he was forever known by, was almost fated to be strictly a stage performer and director before German director/producer Carl Froelich spotted the Austrian's work during one of his plays. Froelich felt Pabst could easily make the transition to cinema and offered the 35-year-old a job in the early 1920's as his assistant director. It wasn't too long before Pabst earned his first opportunity as a head director, helming "The Treasure." He also expanded his talents towards writing by assisting with the screenplay.

The theme of gold being a curse on normal people's lives is tested by a discovery of a trove of treasure in a bell maker and his wife's home. Before the riches were found, the couple were living somewhat contentedly in an old house with their pretty daughter along with a journeyman, who was in love with her. A young, handsome goldsmith arrives to work on one of the bell-maker's clocks he had just cast. Naturally, he falls in love with the daughter as well as discovers the gold rumored to be hidden in the house. Greed and avarice kick in as the three dwellers in the household attempt to cut the goldsmith out of the spoils.

Froelich, whose studio produced "The Treasure," was very pleased with the movie, which served as a springboard for Pabst's future career as a full-time head film director.

Georg Wilhelm Pabst, the director who is often mentioned in the same breath as Fritz Lang and Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau in film criticism, delivered his first work in 1923 with 'Der Schatz'. In this German triumvirate, Pabst stands above all for the late silent film. Well-known and celebrated films such as 'Die freudlose Gasse' (D 1925), 'Die Büchse der Pandora' (D 1929) and 'Tagebuch einer Verlorenen' (D 1929) no longer fall under the category of 'expressionist' film, but are instead categorised as New Objectivity. However, 'Der Schatz' still clearly has its roots in the early days of German cinema. Like many films of this kind, it is set in a diffuse pre-industrial past in the German-speaking provinces.

A bell founder (Albert Steinrück) lives with his wife (Ilka Grüning), his daughter (Lucie Mannheim) and a journeyman (Werner Krauß) in an ancient house that also houses his workshop. A young goldsmith (Hans Brausewetter) comes to this house to help cast a bell. The goldsmith and the daughter fall in love, much to the annoyance of the journeyman Svetelenz, who also had his eye on the young woman. Svetelenz's greatest passion, however, is the search for a treasure that was supposedly hidden in the house during the Turkish wars. With the help of the goldsmith, he finally finds the treasure in the wall of the house, but the sudden wealth is not all good luck.

It is not only because of Albert Steinrück and Werner Krauß that 'The Treasure' looks like a fusion of 'The Golem. How he came into the world' (D 1920) and "Shards" (D 1921). The work of film architects Robert Herlth and Walter Röhrig is particularly reminiscent of "The Golem". The bell founder's house seems less built than grown. The ribs of the all-dominant central pillar convey the feeling that the family lives in the ribcage of a living being. The goldsmith penetrates this organic family structure like the inspector in 'Shards'.

In addition to the architecture, 'The Treasure' impresses above all with the performance of great actors. Albert Steinrück and Ilka Grüning make the most of their roles here and Lucie Mannheim also knows how to shine. Once again, however, it is Werner Krauß, as versatile as he is problematic, who remains memorable as the somnambulistic Svetelenz with his completely blank facial expression.

'Der Schatz' is neither G. W. Pabst's most important film nor a major work of "expressionist" cinema. It is a successful, self-contained work.