Name: The Song of Life
Director: Alexis Granowsky
Released: 1931-04-24
Duration: 1 h 5 min
Rating: 9
Cast: Aribert Mog, Margot Ferra, Elsa Wagner, Ernst Busch, Leo Monosson

Subtitles for: The Song of Life (1931)

This Brechtian musical about a young woman who flees from her decrepit, noble fiancé and marries a sailor is an interesting, although not a completely successful attempt to translate the sort of stage show to film. It has some good points, including the complete abandonment of the sort of surrealistic stage design that had enlivened the silent cinema. Instead, this tries for a purely cinematic technique, including multiple exposures, undercranking and distorting camera angles and lenses.