Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1930


Alraune (1930 film)

Buy Alraune (1930 film) now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




'Alraune' is a German science fiction Horror film directed by Richard Oswald. Like the 1928 version this movie again features Brigitte Helm in the role of Alraune. This version aimed for greater realism but is still based upon the original German myth.

Plot



A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female child who has no concept of love, whom the professor adopts. The girl, Alraune, suffers from obsessive sexuality and perverse relationships throughout her life. She learns of her unnatural origins and she avenges herself against the professor.

Cast



* Brigitte Helm as Alraune ten Brinken/Alma, a bar girl

* Albert Bassermann as Privy Councillor ten Brinken

* Harald Paulsen as Frank Braun

* Adolf E. Licho as Attorney-at-law Manasse

* Agnes Straub as Fuerstin Wolkonski

* Bernhard Goetzke as Dr. Petersen

* Martin Kosleck as Wolfgang Petersen

* Kthe Haack as Frau Raspe

* Ivan Koval-Samborsky as Raspe

* Liselotte Schaak as Olga Wolkonski

* Paul Westermeier as Von Walter

* Henry Bender as The innkeeper

* Elsa Bassermann as A lady

* Wilhelm Bendow

Release



'Alraune' was first shown in Germany at the Gloria-Palast theatre on 2 December 1930.

Critical reception



From contemporary reviews,

'The New York Times' described the film in 1934 as a "highly interesting production...Brigitte Helm, the versatile German actress, is the centre of the story...Her work is up to the high standard she has established in several foreign language pictures that have reached New York. Albert Bassermann, one of Germany's best veteran actors, is excellent as the scientist whose efforts to emulate the wonder-workers of the ancient days bring so much trouble upon nearly all involved in the affair, regardless of their innocence or guilt. The support is first class...Although this picture was made almost four years ago, the sound reproduction and photography are clear. The direction is competent." "Magnus." of 'Variety' dismissed the film as being "very low level and involves a ghastly ideas by Hanns Heinz Ewers, the picture is bad and silly." Magnus. felt that actors Agnes Straub and Alebrt Bassermann were "not well handled in this instance" and that director Oswald "is so inferior in his direction that good actors are wasted."

References



*


Buy Alraune (1930 film) now from Amazon

<-- Return to movies from 1930



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1095666750.