For many years the name of E. A. Dupont was associated with one film made during the Weimar Republic years (1919-1933) and that was VARIETY (1925) with Emil Jannings and Lya De Puti. The renewed interest in silent movies around the turn of the century due to improved restoration techniques led to the rediscovery of the British Anna May Wong vehicle PICCADILLY (1929) and now THE ANCIENT LAW (1923). I have been an admirer and follower of silent movies for over 50 years and had never heard of this film until now. The only time I had ever come across Dupont's name before discovering his silent output was as director of such low budget 1950s American fare like THE NEANDERTHAL MAN and RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND.
THE ANCIENT LAW is a remarkable film on many levels. The story concerns the son of a rabbi living in a small Jewish village in 1860 Austria who dreams of becoming an actor. He goes to Vienna and becomes a celebrated performer who even captures the heart of the Austrian Archduchess. Despite his success he remains true to his religious beliefs even though he had been disowned by his rabbi father (shades of THE JAZZ SINGER which would come 4 years later). The sets of the Eastern European shtetl as well as those of 1860 Imperial Vienna are beautifully rendered with incredible attention to detail. The costumes are magnificent and the cinematography is remarkable for its depth and clarity. Ernst Deutsch (who would turn up in THE THIRD MAN 25 years later) plays the son turned actor. He carries the bulk of the film and is compelling and believable in his various transformations. Henny Portman, a celebrated German actress of the time, is credible and touching as the royal aristocrat who could never marry a Jewish commoner.
The background on how THE ANCIENT LAW came to be restored is no less remarkable. No original German prints survive so this version is a conflation of 5 different prints from Sweden, Russia, France, Italy, and the U. S. The restored color toning comes from the Swedish and American prints of the film and is beautifully done. You get to choose from 2 different scores to accompany the film: a traditional one from Donald Sosin & Alicia Svingals and a modern one from French composer Phillipe Schoeller.
If you are interested in the cinema of the Weimar Republic or want to see a fascinating example of German-Jewish collaboration before the rise of Hitler, then the THE ANCIENT LAW is a must see. This collaboration from Flicker Alley and the Deutsche Kinemathek is a prime example of how a rarely seen silent film classic should be properly treated and then made available to the general public. In addition to the film on both Blu-Ray and DVD, there are bonus features including examples of the restoration, part of a documentary on German silent filmmakers, and a multi-page booklet...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.
