Murky silent exotica that fixed Louise Brooks (and her haircut) into film consciousness. Brooks is pretty much the whole story, and she transcends the rather phoney melodramatics of Pabst's film.
this surprisingly modern film is a direct and frank study of the flip side of the emancipated woman of the 20's. It sheds light on the price women paid for social and sexual freedom, and reveals the Weimar Republic (which in turn brought about the birth of the Nazi party) as a festering sewer for the blatant abuse of wealth and power.
there is at the centre of this film, a hypnotic performance by Louise Brooks, who is alluring, tender, witty and callous. a complex character realised by an extraordinary actor.
a dark film worth watching and another landmark of the silent era..
by the way, what is a menorah doing in one of the early scenes: is it a subtle anti-Semitic product placement?