Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF

Peter von Bagh, Artistic Director of Il
Cinema Ritrovato, Bologna
American version, The Blue Angel, printed from the American negative,
in which many scenes have fine photographic quality. The soundtrack,
too is interesting, and digitally remastered by L’Immagine Ritrovata,
even German dialogue in the ambient background became more
clearly intelligible. But in English, Marlene’s voice lacks the sense of
humour and the mother / predator ambiguity of her mythic German
Lola. The American version lacks also bits that enrich humour, imagery
and complexity of character. It is more straightforward and tragic; the
German one is richer and more nuanced.
An interesting parallel was provided by The Last Laugh, the American
version of Der letzte Mann (1924). Murnau himself edited this version,
which has long been lost. The screening on the Piazza Maggiore, with a
live performance of the original US score by Hugo Riesenfeld, made the
best sense ever for me of the film. Not a subtle film, not a subtle score:
The Last Laugh is drawn with broad strokes but with a firm sense of
movement, structure and composition. This screening made it all come
together.
The discovery of the Festival was a ten-part serial called La Maison du
mystère (1923), episodes of which caused a stir at the start of each day.
This tour de force of the magnificent Albatros team is one of the alltime
best serials. Directed by Alexandre Volkoff and starring Ivan
Mosjoukine, the talent involved
cinematographers like Mundviller, Bourgassoff
and Toporkoff and designers like Lochakoff and
Gosch. We are here in the land of cinematic
invention which is close, indeed, to the visions of
Napoléon vu par Abel Gance. Beautiful restoration
from the original negative was performed by
Renée Lichtig for la Cinémathèque française.
Comedy favourites of national cinemas do not
usually travel well, but some of them would
deserve to. Four artists were showcased in
Bologna: the Englishman Richard Massingham,
the Bavarian Karl Valentin, and the Czech duo
Voskovech and Werich. All different, all make us
laugh.
The reconstruction-in-progress of the Orson
Welles heritage by Münchner Filmmuseum has
been tracked by Il Cinema Ritrovato during the
last years, and Bologna’s Renaissance ambience is
perfect for celebrating the great Cervantesian
and Shakespearian. This time, we saw some of
the very treasures of the posthumous Welles
legacy. Portrait of Gina (1958), one of Welles’s best TV movies, shows the
essay style of the late Welles already in bloom. Filming The Trial by
Orson Welles (1981) sounds like the least promising title of the
catalogue, but turns out to be an excellent summing-up of the Welles
heritage. In this extended discussion with USC students, there is never
a dull moment as we witness Orson making “an art form of the
interview”. A recommended companion piece to the book “This Is Orson
Welles”.
61 Journal of Film Preservation / 65 / 2002