移动的影像

AfterthedeathofhisbrotherGeorg,JohnVanderheitexpectstoinherithisfortune.Unfortunately,justbeforehediedGeorgmadeawillinwhichhebequeathedhisentireestatetohiswife,Irmgard.UnwillingtoyieldtoJohn,Irmgardtakesflightandundertakesahazardousjourneyintothemountains.Here,shemeetsakindlyhermitwhooffershershelter.Johnisnotfarbehind,however,andwhenImrgardrepulseshimhecausesanavalancheinanattempttokillher.Trappedinthehermit’sshelter,Irmgard’snewfriendremoveshishood–andrevealsthatheisherhusbandGeorg...<br/>　　DasWanderndeBildmarkedthebeginningofthefruitfulcollaborationofdirectorFritzLangwithwriterTheavonHarbou.Theymarriedin1922andthecouplewouldbecomethecreativeforcebehindsomeofthegreatestGermanfilmsofthepre-WWIIera,workssuchasDr.Mabuse,derSpieler(1922),Metropolis(1927)andM(1931).<br/>　　Untilquiterecently,DasWanderndeBildwasthoughttohavebeenlost,thefatesufferedbythemajorityoffilmsmadeinthesilentera.Fortunately,anincompleteprintsurfacedinBrazilandthefilmwaspartiallyrestoredinthelate1980s.Aroundathirdofthefilmismissing,alongwiththescriptandinter-titles.Despitethis,therestoredfilmissurprisinglycoherentandthelacunaarehardlynoticed.<br/>　　DasWanderndeBildmaynotbeLangathisbest(itsmainweaknessesbeingitsslightlyludicrousplotandsomeembarrassingPerilsofPaulinemoments),butitamplydemonstratesthedirector’smasteryoftechniqueandflairforexpressionthroughthesilentimage.Thefilmismostmemorableforitsbeautifullyrealisedlocationsequences,whichappeartoshowtheinfluenceofLang’scontemporaries,notablyD.W.Griffith.(©JamesTravers2009)