正在同步电影信息
Duringtheearlytomid1920'sRussianémigréIvanMosjoukinerosetogreatprominenceasthepreeminentstarofFrenchsilentcinema,notonlyapopulardrawattheboxofficebutanexceptionallyexpressiveandcharismaticactor,whocouldflourishinbothart-houseandmainstreamcinema.<br/> Suchwashisstardomthatin1926AbelGance'sfirstchoiceforthetitleroleinNapoleonwasnoneotherthanMosjoukine-whowhilstflatteredcouldnotcommittothelengthyproduction.InsteadMosjoukinestarredinMichelStrogoffandCasanova,twovehicleswhichwhilstlesswellknowntodaywereconsiderableboxofficesuccessesatthetime.<br/> HoweverafterthesecondoftheseMosjoukinemadeamajorcareermisstepwhen,withaUniversalcontract,heleftFranceforwhathehopedwouldbeHollywoodstardom.Howeveronlyonefilmcamefromthis,"Surrender",which,althoughinterestingandwellmade,totallyfailedtoestablishhimasaviableUSattraction.ReturningtoEurope,hisstandingtherehaddeclinedsomewhatandhestruggledtoreestablishhimself.<br/> WhiteDevilwasthelastof5German&Italianvehiclesandmightwellhavereturnedtheactortohisformerstature,wereitnotforatechnicalrevolutionthatwassweepingthroughtheindustry.<br/> ForthisfilmisthefirstofMosjoukine'stoincludeasynchronisedsoundtrack.Thefilmboastsaneffectivescore-withcompiledelementsandoriginalmusicbyMichaelLewin,MarcRoland&WillySchmidt-Gentner-somesequencesofsingingandwhistling,andarangeofsoundeffects...butnodialogue.<br/> It'slikelythatthefilmwasinitiallyshotsilentthenretrofittedwithsoundinordertomakeitmoreattractiveinarapidlychangingmarket.Assuchitcomesoffverywell,withanexcitingandactionpackedplotandameatyroleforit'sexpressiveandversatilestar.<br/> MosjoukinestarsasafieryCaucasiancaptainHadschtMuratwhoquarrelswithhisleader(initiallyoveraperceivedinsulttotheleader'sdaughterandthenmoreseriouslyoverthefateofsomeprisoners)andapparentlydefectstofightforthedespoticCzarNicolaiI(FritzAlberti)andbecomesinvolvedwithNeidowa(playedbyLilDagover-beautifulbutratherwastedinasmallishpart)<br/> HopingtouseMuratasago-betweeninhisplanstoconquertheCaucasus,theCzarrulerfindsthatourheroisnotsoeasilymanipulated.RescuingNeidowafromtheCzar'sclutches,Muratleadsapeople'srevoltagainstthedespoticregent.<br/> AlexandreWolkofdirectswithgreatstyleandvisualflareinafilmthatrepresentstheEuropeansilenttraditionatit'sfinestandmostdynamic.Thishassomewonderfullyatmosphericcinematography-rightuptherewithSunrise&DocksofNewYork.MosjoukinehimselfgivesamovingandpotentperformanceasthenobleMurat–andthefilmranksamongsthisbest,
