The White Devil

Duringtheearlytomid1920'sRussianémigréIvanMosjoukinerosetogreatprominenceasthepreeminentstarofFrenchsilentcinema,notonlyapopulardrawattheboxofficebutanexceptionallyexpressiveandcharismaticactor,whocouldflourishinbothart-houseandmainstreamcinema.<br/>　　Suchwashisstardomthatin1926AbelGance'sfirstchoiceforthetitleroleinNapoleonwasnoneotherthanMosjoukine-whowhilstflatteredcouldnotcommittothelengthyproduction.InsteadMosjoukinestarredinMichelStrogoffandCasanova,twovehicleswhichwhilstlesswellknowntodaywereconsiderableboxofficesuccessesatthetime.<br/>　　HoweverafterthesecondoftheseMosjoukinemadeamajorcareermisstepwhen,withaUniversalcontract,heleftFranceforwhathehopedwouldbeHollywoodstardom.Howeveronlyonefilmcamefromthis,&quot;Surrender&quot;,which,althoughinterestingandwellmade,totallyfailedtoestablishhimasaviableUSattraction.ReturningtoEurope,hisstandingtherehaddeclinedsomewhatandhestruggledtoreestablishhimself.<br/>　　WhiteDevilwasthelastof5German&amp;Italianvehiclesandmightwellhavereturnedtheactortohisformerstature,wereitnotforatechnicalrevolutionthatwassweepingthroughtheindustry.<br/>　　ForthisfilmisthefirstofMosjoukine'stoincludeasynchronisedsoundtrack.Thefilmboastsaneffectivescore-withcompiledelementsandoriginalmusicbyMichaelLewin,MarcRoland&amp;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&amp;DocksofNewYork.MosjoukinehimselfgivesamovingandpotentperformanceasthenobleMurat–andthefilmranksamongsthisbest,