正在同步电影信息
TheRiver,ofwhichthecentralthemeisdesire,isthemosteroticfilmofthesilentcinema.WreathedwiththelaurelsofworldwidesuccessandwithanOscarfor7thHeaven,AmericanfilmmakerofItalo-Swissorigin,FrankBorzage(1894-1962)conceivedthisworkwithcompleteartisticfreedom.Theimmensenaturalsetswerebuiltintheopen-aironalotatFoxFilminWestwood,LosAngeles.<br/> TheinitialsituationisofanEden-likesimplicity:theinitiationintoloveofamalevirgin,amanofthewoodscomingintocontactwithamysteriousfemaleurbaniteaboutwhomwelearnbutlittle,otherthanthatshe"haslivedlifetothefull"andthatsheisalwaysmonitoredbythecrowbelongingtoherloverwhowasimprisonedformurder.Therefollowthehazardsofseductionandrefusal,rusesandinhibitions,endlessdesiresconfessed,withmanyhitches,rightuptometamorphosisintolove.Thewholenarrativeunfoldsonthebanksofariverwhichrevealsthenudityofthebodies(sex),themortalperilsofthevortex(passion),thepurificationandpromiseofaharmoniousfulfillment(thesea.)<br/> Whenitfirstcameoutthefilmwaspursuedbymisfortune:notquiteknowinghowtopromoteit,Foxdisguisedtheworkwithamusicalprologueandaspokenwordending,filmedbehindthebackofthecineaste(the'talkie'versionwasunseenoutsideoftheUnitedStates).ThestrongsensualityoftheimagesshockedpuritanAmerica:TheRiverwasforbiddenascreeninginmanyStatesandatacitconsensuslimiteditsdistribution.Manynewspaperspassedoverthefilminsilence,boycottedthepublicity,andeventhe«NewYorkTimes»onlygranteditasmall,embarrassedparagraph.<br/> InEuropethereceptionwaswarmerandtheFrenchmovie-goers,amongstthemtheyoungMarcelCarné,praisedthefilmtotheskies(7weeksexclusiveinParis).ThesurrealistmilieusaroundAndréBretonsawinthisWomanWithRaven,aswhichthefilmwasdistributedinFrance,moretrueaudaciousnessandinsightthanintheentireFrenchavant-garde.Forthedurationoftheseason,thedisturbingMaryDuncan(1895-1993)provokedflightsoffantasyunderthesameheadingasLouiseBrooks.Thenthefilmdisappeared,becamealegend.Itisrumouredtohavebeenlost,justliketheothermythictitlefromFox,Murnau's4Devilsfilmedatthesametime.
