简介：AnotheramazingfindfromourfriendsatCine-Clasico,"VierumdieFrau"isa1921FritzLangfilmfoundintheBrazilianfilmarchives.TheperiodintertitlesareinPortuguesebuttheplotisnotdifficulttofollow,particularlywiththeassistanceoftheinvaluableHerrGrafFerdinandVonGalitzien,whoseblogentryonthefilm(link)follows: ThemerchantYquembuyshisdearwifeabeautifuljewelwithmatchingearningsinaplacewherethecity'sunderworldtradesinfakeandstolenjewelry.Bychance,Yquemspotsamanwithwhomhiswifehadanaffairinthepast.Yquemfollowshimtoahotelwherehewillwritehimaletterimitatinghiswife'shandwriting.TheletterinvitesthemantoapublicplacewhereYquemcanspyonthemandtrytodiscoverwhetherthereisstillsomethingbetweenthem. ThisearlyFritzLangfilm,"VierUmDieFrau"(FourAroundaWoman)wasfoundbychancesomeyearsagoatthe"CinematecaDeSâoPaulo",agreatpresentfortheGermanaristocracyandevenforthelonghairedmoviegoers,becauseitprefiguresmuchof"Dr.Mabuse",(corruptionintheupperclass-averyhabitualpractice-unscrupulousupstarts,blackmail,lowclasscriminals,socialtension.)andintheopinionofthisGermanaristocrat,providesoneofthemostoutstandingtitlesofLang'sfirstperiod.Thisfilmhasexcellenteditingthatgivesvigour,speedandemotiontoastoryofanunderworldrifewithtreacheryandbetrayalaswellasacomplextaleofunrequitedlove.Thefilmbuildstoacrescendoofnarrativestrengththatremindsoneofepisodesof"DieSpinnen"madebyHerrLangayearbefore. Theactingisexceptionalandtheperformersresistthetemptationtooveractingthatmightbeexpectedinsuchmelodrama.Astheheroine,CarolaToelleisespeciallygoodandadmirablyconveysthedoubts,secretdesiresandfrustrationthathercharactersuffers.Anexcellentcounterpointisprovidedthecharacterofherfriendandconfidant,aperfectvamp,whoprovidesbadadviceandiswithoutscruples,quicktouseflirtingtobuilduphersocialposition...RudolfKlein-Roggehastobementioned,ashisperformancemakesonerecalltheexceptionalcharacterDrMabuse,thathewillimmortalisetwoyearslater.Theexcellentmainactorsaregivenequallygoodsupportintheminorroles. ItisworthmentioningaswellthegreatphotographyofOttoKanturekandthefilmproductionbyErnstMeiwersandHansJacoby.Theimportanceof"Decla-Bioscop"'canbeseeninthefirstrateproductionvaluesthataresoabundantinthefilm(greatmanors,hotellobbies,thestockexchange,etc)andontheotherhandtherealisticdepictionoflessauspicioussurroundings:raggedandwretchedslumsstreetsfilledwiththekindofcharactersyoumightexpectinsuchplaces.Aminorpointbutalsoarealcuriosityistheinclusionofaposterforanother"DeclaBioscop"productionthatcanbeglimpsedinatheaterlobby.…