简介：TheEuropeanmentalityofthisGermansilentwasabitracyformainstreamAmericantastesoftheera;nevertheless,theimagescreatedbydirectorPaulCzinnertoldthisstorywell.Awife(ElizabethBergner)isboredbyheroverweightslobofahusband(EmilJannings).Shegivesintothetemptationofaslicklyseductivepoet(ConradVeidt).Thecuckoldedhusband(acommonroleforJannings)triestoconvincethepairtostopthephilandering,butthewiferunsoffwithherloveranyway.Thelovershortlygrowstiredofher(justasthehusbandpredictedhewould)anddumpsher.Withouteitherherloverorherhusband,thedesperatewomanthrowsherselfoffacliff.AlthoughHusbandsorLoverswasnotreleasedintheU.S.until1927,itwasfilmedin1924,beforeJanningscametoAmericatomakehismarkonfilmsthere.InEuropeanreleaseitwascalledNju,whichwastheBergnercharacter'sname. AplaywrightandtheatricalproducerinAustria,PaulCzinnerdirectedhisfirstfilminViennain1919.HescoredasuccessintheGermanfilmindustrywithhis1924dramaNju(akaHusbandsorLovers),starringElisabethBergner.ShewentontoactinmostofCzinner'sfilms,andthetwomarriedin1933.ThatsameyeartheyfledtheNazisandmovedtoEngland,wheretheirfilmsincludedCatherinetheGreatandAsYouLikeIt.Inthe'40stheylivedinAmerica,workingontheBroadwaystage.ReturningtoEnglandinthe'50s,Czinnerfilmeddance(TheBolshoiBallet},TheRoyalBallet)andopera(DonGiovanni,DerRosenkavalier)usinghisowninnovativemulti-cameramethods.…