帕拉塞尔苏斯

&quot;Paracelsus,&quot;whichwasshownattheFirstAvenueScreeningRoomlastSundayandwillberepeatedthereatnoonandmidnighttodayandtomorrow,isaveryspecialfootnotetofilmandpoliticalhistory.NeverbeforereleasedinNewYork,itisthesecondfilmmadebythegreat,supposedlyleft-wingGermandirector,G.W.Pabst,afterhereturnedtoNaziGermanyjustintimeforWorldWarII.<br/>　　Pabst,whodiedattheageof82in1967,isafascinatingcharacter,knownas&quot;theredPabst&quot;(PapstmeanspopeinGerman)untilhewentbacktoHitler'snewGermanempire.Hisbestfilms,includingthesilent&quot;JoylessStreet&quot;withGretaGarboand&quot;TheThreepennyOpera&quot;(1931),areratheruproariousamalgamsofstarkrealism,wildmelodramaandpurepoetry.Lotsofelementsinhisfilmslookdatedtodaybutalsothereisusually,somethingthatlookstotallynewandsurprising.<br/>　　&quot;Paracelsus,&quot;consideringwhenitwasmade(1943)andunderwhatconditions,isaremarkablyinterestingfilm,thoughfullofnotespeciallywelldisguisedpropaganda.It'sthestoryofParacelsus,the16th-centurySwisshealerwhosereputationtookonanewvogueintheGermanyoftheearlynineteen-forties.NaziwritersandintellectualsbegantoattributeallsortsofNaziidealstothemystichealerwhohadbeenridiculedandoppressedforchoosingtowriteinGermaninsteadofLatinandwhohadchallengedtheauthorityofvested(feudal)interests.<br/>　　WiththeexceptionofWernerKrauss,whoplaysParacelsusasasortofmedievalDr.Gillespie,crustybutkind,theactingisoperatic.ThescreenplayisfullofnobleopinionsabouttheGermancharacteranditsabilitytotriumphovertheignoranceofitsenemies.<br/>　　Thephysicalproduction,however,isastonishinglyhandsome.Inaddition,themoviecontainsoneofPabst'smostmagicalscenes,inwhichDeath,inthepersonofajuggler,entersatowninthesiegeofplagueandinvitesthecitizenstojoinhiminacelebratorydance.Realismmovesintofantasy(andbackagain)withlessawkwardnessthanmostotherdirectorsdisplaywhenmakingasimplecutbetweentwoscenesinthesamestyle.<br/>　　Afurtherfootnotetothisfootnotetohistory:afterthewar,Pabstwentontomakeotherfilms,including&quot;TheTrial&quot;(1949),aboutanti-SemitisminHungaryin1882,butWernerKrausswasblacklisted,largelyforhisparticipationinthenotorious&quot;JudSüss.&quot;