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Die wunderbare Lüge der Nina Petrowna (The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrovna)

Director: Hanns Schwarz
Year: 1929
Run-time: 1 hr 42 min
Source: Bootleg DVD

Notable for: An obscure film today, the main draw of this German romance is a chance to further appreciate Brigitte Helm, the actress best known for playing Maria and the doppelganger in Metropolis.   Her range of expression is pretty extraordinary, and here we have a much better showcase for her talents.  The film itself, not really fitting into any of the German cinematic movements of the period, is perhaps a sign that American trends were beginning to make their way overseas.  This is a romance similar in spirit to Street Angel or Docks of New York, with its own interesting class dynamics.

Verdict:  Helm is extraordinary in this film, but the crux really lies in the dynamic between the two male leads, played by Francis Lederer (also of Pandora's Box) and the British actor Warwick Ward.  Their rivalry, genial on the surface but hot-blooded beneath, is fascinating and adds interest to what is otherwise a conventional tragic romance.  These sorts of romances were not as critically lauded as the ambitious works of Griffiths or Lang, but there's a lot of social nuance to unpack, and I find the minimalist symbolism of films like this and Street Angel to demonstrate a lot of skill, and they hold up well even despite the change in sexual mores.




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