PANDORA'S BOX AT AND IN THE COOLIDGE
On a beautiful Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago, I wandered into the magnificent Coolidge Corner Theatre to see an almost 80 year old black and white German classic, PANDORA'S BOX by G.W. Pabst, with live and "original" music accompaniment by MIT scholar Martin Marx. It is one of the darkest films ever made, but also one of tghe greatest. There were almost 100 people there, and not all of them were over 60, as I remarked to my 24 year old companion,, who was not quite the youngest in attendance.
But to see the ravishing Louise Brooks as Lulu on the big screen was worth it. I have seen the film almost ten times, the first being on Valentine's Day, l975, at MOMA. where, after the screening, my then 8 year old son broke out in chickenpox (although, to be fiar, I dont't think there was a cause-effect situation there). And I have a special place for the film, for the paper I wrote on it got me into the doctoral program in Cinema Studies at NYU.
Lulu is the untimate femme fatale.
And, I believe, every man, and perhaps, woman, should have a little Lulu in one's life, but ONLY ONCE. One cannot help but fall in love and become obsessed with her. She's totaly captivating, and totally amoral - and unwittingly dangerous. Years later, when a young Melanie Griffith, with a black wig, stands poised to jump into harried husband Jeff Daniel's car in Jonathan Demme's SOMETHING WILD, and says, "I'm Lulu," where know were in for a wild and downhill ride, straight to a terrifying Ray Liotta. But Melanie Griffith is no Louise Brooks, and Brooks' presence is so great that I can remember my hands trembling when, during my research at MOMA, I help an original script with Louise Brooks' phone # in Berlin written on it.
In PANDORA'S BOX, it is not only the men, but also Lulu herself, that go downhhill.
And Lulu wouldn't be so memorable if it weren't for Louise Brooks. Increbibly beautiful, she projects the hedonistic joy, a kind of innocence, and a surprising tenderness, especially in the a man who turns out to be Jack the Ripper, at whose hands she dies.
On the big screen at the Coolidge, not only was Louise Brooks there larger than life, but the film's beautifully directed, stunningly shot cinematic wonders were there to discover. The expressiontic compositions, especially on the boat, in the scene with predator Rodrigo Quast (a fat trapeze artist) threatens Lulu, standing with a carved crocodile behind him, or, later, when she cries out, "Everyone wants my life - my blood," amidst the angles of the shoips deck and scaffolding. And,, expecially the way Pabst uses light - memorably when it is in the eyes of Louise Brooks.
It's great for the Coolidge to bring events like these. It's too bad they can't be at a more accomodating time. In order to get the kind of films that people will go to, booker Connie White is adament about not doing anything to affect a weekend's grosses. That so many films she books are also playing at so many other theatres - e.g., the Coolidge is one of twelve theatres playing Michael Moore's SICKO - take some of the specialness of the Coolidge is unfortunate. On the other hand, Executive Director Joe Zina and his team more than make up for it by devoloping programs like them (part of a series), and accomodidating series like Video Balagan, Off the Couch, and showcasing so many locak works. Almost 20 years ago, I was part of a group that fought to save the Coolidge to preserve its role in the community.
that fight has proved itself worthwhile. And, last week Zina announced plans to expand the stage, so tha t more live events can be present. With emerging technology and fluctuating audience habits it is important that the theatre functions even when moviegoing habits change.
So it was great to see PANDORA'S BOX at the Coolidge. Louise Brooks is immortal, and, in some way, so is the Colidge.
becuause
But to see the ravishing Louise Brooks as Lulu on the big screen was worth it. I have seen the film almost ten times, the first being on Valentine's Day, l975, at MOMA. where, after the screening, my then 8 year old son broke out in chickenpox (although, to be fiar, I dont't think there was a cause-effect situation there). And I have a special place for the film, for the paper I wrote on it got me into the doctoral program in Cinema Studies at NYU.
Lulu is the untimate femme fatale.
And, I believe, every man, and perhaps, woman, should have a little Lulu in one's life, but ONLY ONCE. One cannot help but fall in love and become obsessed with her. She's totaly captivating, and totally amoral - and unwittingly dangerous. Years later, when a young Melanie Griffith, with a black wig, stands poised to jump into harried husband Jeff Daniel's car in Jonathan Demme's SOMETHING WILD, and says, "I'm Lulu," where know were in for a wild and downhill ride, straight to a terrifying Ray Liotta. But Melanie Griffith is no Louise Brooks, and Brooks' presence is so great that I can remember my hands trembling when, during my research at MOMA, I help an original script with Louise Brooks' phone # in Berlin written on it.
In PANDORA'S BOX, it is not only the men, but also Lulu herself, that go downhhill.
And Lulu wouldn't be so memorable if it weren't for Louise Brooks. Increbibly beautiful, she projects the hedonistic joy, a kind of innocence, and a surprising tenderness, especially in the a man who turns out to be Jack the Ripper, at whose hands she dies.
On the big screen at the Coolidge, not only was Louise Brooks there larger than life, but the film's beautifully directed, stunningly shot cinematic wonders were there to discover. The expressiontic compositions, especially on the boat, in the scene with predator Rodrigo Quast (a fat trapeze artist) threatens Lulu, standing with a carved crocodile behind him, or, later, when she cries out, "Everyone wants my life - my blood," amidst the angles of the shoips deck and scaffolding. And,, expecially the way Pabst uses light - memorably when it is in the eyes of Louise Brooks.
It's great for the Coolidge to bring events like these. It's too bad they can't be at a more accomodating time. In order to get the kind of films that people will go to, booker Connie White is adament about not doing anything to affect a weekend's grosses. That so many films she books are also playing at so many other theatres - e.g., the Coolidge is one of twelve theatres playing Michael Moore's SICKO - take some of the specialness of the Coolidge is unfortunate. On the other hand, Executive Director Joe Zina and his team more than make up for it by devoloping programs like them (part of a series), and accomodidating series like Video Balagan, Off the Couch, and showcasing so many locak works. Almost 20 years ago, I was part of a group that fought to save the Coolidge to preserve its role in the community.
that fight has proved itself worthwhile. And, last week Zina announced plans to expand the stage, so tha t more live events can be present. With emerging technology and fluctuating audience habits it is important that the theatre functions even when moviegoing habits change.
So it was great to see PANDORA'S BOX at the Coolidge. Louise Brooks is immortal, and, in some way, so is the Colidge.
becuause
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