L'image vagabonde

A bit of a baffling film - actually more than a bit. This was Lang's second film and was thought lost for a while until a print turned up in Portugal in 1986. The title cards are in Portuguese but there are subtitles which you can download. Apparently two or three of the reels of the film are missing and I imagine that would make the film much more intelligible.

The heroine of the film has been in a relationship with a radical philosopher. He fakes his death at some point - perhaps to escape from society. This leaves her alone and she has a child. There is also an inheritance which she doesn't get but I'm not exactly sure the significance of this.

In any case, there is some good acting in the film, particularly from the lead actress and also from the lady villager who helps her. Lang is dealing with some very interesting material and probably the missing reels would clarify the questions I had. The quality of the print I saw was terrible and again, this only contributed to my confusion. It is an interesting film but it's really hard to authoritatively review it when you're so unsure as to motives.

I'd recommend it for fans of Lang, but you may be a bit confused.