Michael (1924)

Synopsis: A 1924 adaptation of Herman Bang's decadent novel from Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer, MICHAEL is a recreation of the mythological love triangle between Jupiter, his wife Juno, and Ganymede. Sensitive and elegant, it is a technically adept and sumptuous portrait of an aging artist,... A 1924 adaptation of Herman Bang's decadent novel from Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer, MICHAEL is a recreation of the mythological love triangle between Jupiter, his wife Juno, and Ganymede. Sensitive and elegant, it is a technically adept and sumptuous portrait of an aging artist, Zoret (director Benjamin Christensen), and his passionate love for his young muse, Michael (Walter Slezak, LIFEBOAT). When Princess Zamika (Nora Gregor, RULES OF THE GAME), a sensuous femme fatale, also falls under the spell of his youthful beauty, Michael is in turn enchanted and begins to drift away from the older man; Zoret is left to watch helplessly, and eventually succumbs to despair and loneliness. With performances both melodramatic and subtly restrained, the depth of the characters' love and melancholy are brilliantly communicated. The elaborate fin de siecle sets are stunningly photographed by cinematographer Karl Freund (METROPOLIS, THE LAST LAUGH), who also appears here in the sole onscreen performance of his career. [More]