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''Alraune'' is a 1928 German silent
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
directed by
Henrik Galeen Henrik Galeen (7 January 1881 – 30 July 1949) was an Austrian-born actor, screenwriter and film director considered an influential figure in the development of German Expressionism, German Expressionist cinema during the silent era. Early years ...
and starring
Brigitte Helm Brigitte Helm (born Brigitte Gisela Eva Schittenhelm, 17 March 1906 – 11 June 1996) was a German actress, best remembered for her dual role as Maria and her double named Futura, in Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film, '' Metropolis''. Early life ...
in which a
prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
is artificially inseminated with the semen of a hanged man. The story is based upon the legend of
Alraune ''Alraune'' (German for ) is a novel by German novelist Hanns Heinz Ewers published in 1911. It is also the name of the female lead character. The book originally featured illustrations by Ilna Ewers-Wunderwald. Legend The basis of the story o ...
. In this version, the blasphemous sexual union causes the progeny (a daughter) to grow to adulthood quickly, behave in a sexually promiscuous fashion and cause the men who fall in love with her nothing but hardship, heartache and financial ruin, if not death.


Plot

A wealthy Professor specializing in
genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...
is ambitious to conduct an experiment with a woman of "low social status", by impregnating her with a mandrake. The plant is believed by legend to sprout from the semen of hanged prisoners. He instructs his young nephew, Franz, to obtain a woman from the "scum of society". Franz reluctantly retrieves a prostitute, and the experiment is performed on her. The child from the experiment, Alraune, grows up to become a beautiful woman with a corrupted soul. The Professor adopts her as his daughter and sends her to a convent to study; she sneaks boyfriends into the convent and plays pranks on the nuns. Using her charm, she convinces a boyfriend to steal money from his parents and they elope together aboard a train. While eloping, Alraune attracts the attentions of a circus magician; he puts a mouse on Alraune's leg to surprise her, but she shows no fear. Her jealous boyfriend attacks the magician, leading to a scuffle. Meanwhile, on learning about the experiment, the Professor's nephew Franz is appalled and warns his uncle about the consequences of violating the laws of nature. They then receive the news that Alraune is missing from the convent. After months of searching, the Professor tracks Alraune to a circus, where she is performing as the magician's assistant but also flirting with the lion tamer. The Professor confronts Alraune in her dressing room. Afraid of his reprimands, she decides to leave the circus and return home with him. Alraune is happy for a time in her new life with her "father", who has fallen for her and wonders if her promiscuous nature is an effect of her mother's promiscuosity. However, when he forbids her marriage to a
Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
, she decides to elope, and that night she discovers the Professor's journal and discovers her origins. Angry at her "father" for having lied to her, she abandons the Viscount so that she can stay and seek revenge. Alraune continues to attract men and seduce the Professor, and finally reveals to him that she knows about her unnatural origins. He is delighted, as he has become obsessed; he writes in his journal that she either stays with him or he will kill her. The next night, the Professor and Alraune visit a gambling club. Alraune's affluent lifestyle has depleted the Professor's finances, and he asks her to join him at a gambling table, believing the legend that mandrakes give good luck. After a winning streak, Alraune leaves the professor mid-round and rushes home to pack her things and escape. The Professor loses his winnings and returns home to find Alraune packing. He begs her to stay, sell her remaining jewels for money and move to a new place where they can find happiness. She replies that she certainly will, but not with him. Enraged, the Professor grabs a knife and pursues Alraune around the house. Luckily, Franz arrives in time to stop him attacking her. Franz spirits Alraune away, leaving the Professor condemned to a life of loneliness and insanity.


Cast

*
Brigitte Helm Brigitte Helm (born Brigitte Gisela Eva Schittenhelm, 17 March 1906 – 11 June 1996) was a German actress, best remembered for her dual role as Maria and her double named Futura, in Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film, '' Metropolis''. Early life ...
as Alraune ten Brinken *
Paul Wegener Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and conce ...
as Prof. Jakob ten Brinken *
Iván Petrovich Iván Petrovich ( sr, Иван Петровић, Ivan Petrović; 1 January 1894 – 18 October 1962) was a Serbian film actor and singer. He was the first actor from Yugoslavia to have a successful international movie career. Petrovich mainly w ...
as Franz Braun *
Wolfgang Zilzer Wolfgang Zilzer (January 20, 1901 – June 26, 1991) was a German-American stage and film actor, often under the stage name Paul Andor. Biography Zilzer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to German-Jewish emigrant Max Zilzer, who was employed at the ...
as Wölfchen *
Louis Ralph Louis Ralph (born Ludwig Josef Musik; 17 August 1878 – September 1952) was an Austrian film actor and director. He was born Ludwig Musik in Graz, Styria, Austria-Hungary (now Austria), and died in Berlin at age 68. Selected filmography * ''D ...
as Der Zauberkünstler *Hans Trautner as Der Dompteur * John Loder as Der Vicomte *Mia Pankau as Die Dirne *
Valeska Gert Valeska or Valeška may refer to the following people: Given name * Valeska von Gallwitz (1833–1888), German writer *Valeska Gert (1892–c. 1978), German dancer and cabaret artist *Valeska Menezes (born 1976), Brazilian volleyball player * Val ...
as Ein Mädchen von der Gasse *
Georg John Georg John (born Georg Jacobsohn; 23 July 1879 – 18 November 1941) was a German stage and film actor. Early life Georg Jacobsohn was born into a Jewish household in Schmiegel, Province of Posen, Imperial Germany. Career John began his ...
as Der Mörder *Alexander Sascha as Ein Herr im Coupé *
Heinrich Schroth Heinrich August Franz Schroth (23 March 1871 – 14 January 1945) was a German stage and film actor. Career Schroth was born in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He made his acting debut at the Sigmaringen Royal Theatre in 1890. In 1894 h ...
as Ein Herr in der Bar


Release

''Alarune'' was first shown in Germany on 20 January 1928 in Berlin. In the American release prints, the Alraune character was renamed Mandrake, the English word for Alraune. Brigitte Helm reprised the Alraune role again two years later when director Richard Oswald remade the film (with sound) in 1930.


Critical reaction

From contemporary reviews In 1928, C. Hooper Trask of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote, "if you like this sort of thing you'll find it a superior product. Heinrich Galeen has directed with photographic imagination—no question that the picture has atmosphere" ; and of Brigitte Helm, "all the promises of "
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
" are here fulfilled. To the vampire gallery, which runs from
Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...
to
Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...
, let me add the German Brigitte. She lacks Greta's delectable weakness but she gives in its place power and depth. A most engaging evening's display of erotics." A review credited to "Trask" in ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' stated that Galeen "squeezes all the horror juice out of wers story and Brigitte Helm, the vamp, is at least 200 percent." proclaiming on Helm that "When will some American director take a look at this extraordinary fascinating girl. She has an individuality of her own." From retrospective reviews, Troy Howarth noted that Brigitte Helm's performance in the film was "one of the most genuinely erotic of its time" and that Galeen should be "admired for approaching the material in such an adult and sophisticated manner....''Alraune'' is, after his ''The Student of Prague'' (1926), easily his most impressive feature as director". In
Phil Hardy Philip Hardy (born 9 April 1973) is an English-born former Ireland under-21 footballer who played as a left-back. With Welsh club Wrexham from 1990 to 2001, he played more than 450 games under manager Brian Flynn. He was named on the PFA ...
's book ''Science Fiction'', a reviewer referred to the film as the best of the five adaptations of ''Alraune'', noting that Galeen allows for an "obsessive sexuality to suffuse the whole texture of the film with an intensity rarely equalled in the silent cinema (except perhaps in Murnau's ''
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
'')".


References


References

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External links

* * {{Authority control 1928 films German black-and-white films Films of the Weimar Republic German science fiction horror films German silent feature films Films based on German novels Films based on works by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1920s science fiction horror films Films directed by Henrik Galeen Silent horror films 1920s German films Silent science fiction films 1920s German-language films