简介：DieelfTeufel/TheElevenDevilswasmadeinBerlininthesummerof1927,inthelastthroesofthesilentmovieera.ButDieelfTeufelstrikesonetodayasapropheticfilm.Oneofitsearlycaptionsis"Football,thesportofthecentury".Weareshownaballbathedinlightlikesomesacredrelic,andobservehow,eveninthoseearlydays,fansontheterraceswouldn'tshyawayfromusingtheirfists. Finally,aftertheoddkickaboutandplentyofcommercialanderoticintrigue,wecometotheshowdown,thematchthatdecideswhichteamfieldsthebettermen.Thefilm'sstructureislikealongoverturefollowedbyarip-roaringfinale.EveninthosedaysZoltánKordaknewthat,forcredibility'ssake,hecouldonlyshowthematchinfragments.ThecreditsrevealthatthetwoteamsfilmedinlongshotweremadeupofthebestplayersfromthetopGermanclubs.Butasnoneofthemareidentifiableonscreen,theshotsandclose-upsofthemaincharacterscouldbewovenseamlesslyintothewhole.Asthegameproceeds,thecutshappenmoreandmorequicklyuntilthefictitiousmatchdevelopsamomentumofitsown.Kordaproveshimselfhere-onlythreeyearsafterMurnau'sgroundbreakingTheLastLaugh-tobeamodelpupilintheuseofthe"unchainedcamera",andanticipateswithbreathtakingvirtuositytoday'srapidtrackingshotsalongthetouchline.Suchcameraworkinasilentmoviemustliterallyhavetakenthespectators'breathaway.Attheendthefilmoffersahymntothe"unifyingideaofsport".Butthesubtext,thesecretdoubtsandquestionsthatpartlyunderminethatconclusion,areunmistakable.…