
ThisfilmcomesfromtheSchlossArchiveofHisHighness,HerrGrafFerdinandvonGalitzien:<br/> IstartoffthesecondroundofsilentraritiesfromtheCount'sarchivewiththereconstructedversionofMauritzStiller's1916silent"Balettprimadonnan".Thefilmwasthoughttobelostuntilextendedfragmentswerefoundinthe1990s;subsequently,thefilmwasreconstructedwiththehelpofstillphotographsandexplanatoryintertitles,enablingtheviewertofollowtheaction(atleastifyoucanreadSwedish).However,eveninthisformthefilmonlylastslittlemorethan19minutes(originallengthwas54min.).Buttheyareworthit,asthesurvivingmaterialshowsStillerinfullcommandofhiscraft,withstrikingphotographyandsomepositivelyenchantingsceneswiththemainactressJennyHasselqvistduringaballetaudition.<br/> (<ahref="https://www.douban.com/link2/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fbalettprimadonnan-1916-by-mauritz.html&link2key=d901ccc5ad"target="_blank"rel="nofollow">http://ferdinandvong<wbr/>alitzien.blogspot.co<wbr/>m/2009/12/balettprim<wbr/>adonnan-1916-by-maur<wbr/>itz.html</a>)<br/> Balettprimadonnantellsthestoryofagypsydancer(FrauJennyHasselquist)whoisdiscoveredaccidentallybyaviolinplayer(HerrLarsHanson);fameandagoodsocialstatuswillbewaitingforthetwoartistsaftertheymeeteachotherbutalsojealousyandsorrow,alwaysthepriceoffame,certainly.<br/> ThereelsfoundinSaragossaincludetheauditionofFrauAnjuta,thegypsydancer,toaballet-danceacademyandthefinalpartofthefilm,themostinterestingandbeautifulone,genuineStiller.Thisincludesaduel(thataristocraticpastimethatthisHerrVonlikessomuch)aswellasathrillingsequencewithourheroinerunningwildthroughasnowylandscapetryingtoavoidacalamitybetweenthementhatarefightingforherlove(theendingsoundsabitliketheclimaxtoHerrClarenceBrown’“FleshAndTheDevil(1926),alsowithLarsHansonandHerrStiller’sadvancedpupilFrauGarbo),alyricalandbeautifulendingwhereinNature(Swedishstyle)isalsoanimportantdramaticcharacter.ThisistypicaloftheimportanceinHerrStiller’slaterworkwherecoldlandscapescarrygreatartisticweight,evocativeanddramatic.

