{"id":75944,"date":"2021-09-10T15:01:53","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T22:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=75944"},"modified":"2021-09-10T18:32:14","modified_gmt":"2021-09-11T01:32:14","slug":"threepenny-opera-the-1931","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=75944","title":{"rendered":"Threepenny Opera, The (1931)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;This truth you cannot shirk: man lives exclusively by dirty work.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster-209x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"209\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-75945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster-209x300.png 209w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster-714x1024.png 714w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster-89x128.png 89w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster-768x1101.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster-188x270.png 188w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Poster.png 775w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn 19th century London, crime boss Mackie Massler (Rudolf Forster) marries the daughter (Carola Neher) of the city&#8217;s top begging racketeer (Fritz Rasp), who is unhappy about Polly (Neher) being wed to a rival criminal, and asks the chief of police, Tiger-Brown (Reinhold Schunzel), to help capture Mackie. Meanwhile, Mackie&#8217;s former lover Jenny, a prostitute (Lotte Lenya), pines over Mackie and tries to help him escape.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Corruption<\/li>\n<li>German Films<\/li>\n<li>G.W. Pabst Films<\/li>\n<li>Musicals<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptations<\/li>\n<li>Thieves and Criminals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nG.W. Pabst&#8217;s adaptation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Threepenny_Opera\">Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill&#8217;s musical play<\/a> about widespread societal corruption was fraught with conflict and drama &#8212; most specifically Brecht&#8217;s frustration with Pabst&#8217;s very loose interpretation of his work (Brecht quit midway through production, and Weill was eventually fired). It&#8217;s notable for being a film banned by the Nazis, with all prints they could find being destroyed &#8212; though thankfully, it was eventually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1960\/07\/11\/archives\/screen-an-old-threepenny-operagerman-film-was-last-shown-here-in.html\">reconstructed<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/films\/834-the-threepenny-opera\">recently restored<\/a>. It remains a highly atmospheric film, with striking sets and cinematography throughout: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75973\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets2.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets2-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets2-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets2-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets2-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and a noteworthy film debut by Lotte Lenya (in a supporting role): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75974\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya2.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya2-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya2-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya2-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya2-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The storyline &#8212; a broad satire of capitalism &#8212; is one that will probably appeal most to fans of Brecht&#8217;s work. I&#8217;ll admit I wasn&#8217;t overly familiar with the play, and had a hard time following along at first, as we see Forster seducing a couple of women (what exactly are his intentions?): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Opening.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Opening.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Opening.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Opening-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Opening-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Opening-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Opening-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and eventually marrying one of them in a truly weird, crook-filled ceremony constructed completely from stolen items. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Wedding2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Wedding2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75975\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Wedding2.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Wedding2-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Wedding2-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Wedding2-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Wedding2-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Eventually, however, Neher emerges as an unexpectedly strong female, taking over Forster&#8217;s business when he&#8217;s captured and successfully converting it into an even more high-toned operation: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Neher2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Neher2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75976\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Neher2.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Neher2-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Neher2-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Neher2-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Neher2-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While I consider this film to be more of a curio than a masterpiece, it should probably be seen once by film fanatics given its historical significance. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strong performances by the leading cast<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Leads2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Leads2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Leads2.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Leads2-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Leads2-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Leads2-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Leads2-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Lenya-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Andrej Andrejew&#8217;s art direction and sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75948\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Sets-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fritz Arno Wagner&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75949\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Cinematography.png 860w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Cinematography-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Cinematography-128x107.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Cinematography-768x643.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Threepenny-Opera-Cinematography-323x270.png 323w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>Kurt Weill&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, once, simply for its historical relevance. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0021818\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2007\/09\/25\/movies\/homevideo\/25dvd.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/1911\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/current\/posts\/964-the-threepenny-opera\">Criterion Collection Essay <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/93193\/die-dreigroschenoper#articles-reviews?articleId=354722\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;This truth you cannot shirk: man lives exclusively by dirty work.&#8221; Synopsis: In 19th century London, crime boss Mackie Massler (Rudolf Forster) marries the daughter (Carola Neher) of the city&#8217;s top begging racketeer (Fritz Rasp), who is unhappy about Polly (Neher) being wed to a rival criminal, and asks the chief of police, Tiger-Brown (Reinhold Schunzel), to help capture Mackie. Meanwhile, Mackie&#8217;s former lover Jenny, a prostitute (Lotte Lenya), pines over Mackie and tries to help him escape. Genres, Themes,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=75944\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75944"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75944\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75994,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75944\/revisions\/75994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}