简介："Paracelsus,"whichwasshownattheFirstAvenueScreeningRoomlastSundayandwillberepeatedthereatnoonandmidnighttodayandtomorrow,isaveryspecialfootnotetofilmandpoliticalhistory.NeverbeforereleasedinNewYork,itisthesecondfilmmadebythegreat,supposedlyleft-wingGermandirector,G.W.Pabst,afterhereturnedtoNaziGermanyjustintimeforWorldWarII. Pabst,whodiedattheageof82in1967,isafascinatingcharacter,knownas"theredPabst"(PapstmeanspopeinGerman)untilhewentbacktoHitler'snewGermanempire.Hisbestfilms,includingthesilent"JoylessStreet"withGretaGarboand"TheThreepennyOpera"(1931),areratheruproariousamalgamsofstarkrealism,wildmelodramaandpurepoetry.Lotsofelementsinhisfilmslookdatedtodaybutalsothereisusually,somethingthatlookstotallynewandsurprising. "Paracelsus,"consideringwhenitwasmade(1943)andunderwhatconditions,isaremarkablyinterestingfilm,thoughfullofnotespeciallywelldisguisedpropaganda.It'sthestoryofParacelsus,the16th-centurySwisshealerwhosereputationtookonanewvogueintheGermanyoftheearlynineteen-forties.NaziwritersandintellectualsbegantoattributeallsortsofNaziidealstothemystichealerwhohadbeenridiculedandoppressedforchoosingtowriteinGermaninsteadofLatinandwhohadchallengedtheauthorityofvested(feudal)interests. WiththeexceptionofWernerKrauss,whoplaysParacelsusasasortofmedievalDr.Gillespie,crustybutkind,theactingisoperatic.ThescreenplayisfullofnobleopinionsabouttheGermancharacteranditsabilitytotriumphovertheignoranceofitsenemies. Thephysicalproduction,however,isastonishinglyhandsome.Inaddition,themoviecontainsoneofPabst'smostmagicalscenes,inwhichDeath,inthepersonofajuggler,entersatowninthesiegeofplagueandinvitesthecitizenstojoinhiminacelebratorydance.Realismmovesintofantasy(andbackagain)withlessawkwardnessthanmostotherdirectorsdisplaywhenmakingasimplecutbetweentwoscenesinthesamestyle. Afurtherfootnotetothisfootnotetohistory:afterthewar,Pabstwentontomakeotherfilms,including"TheTrial"(1949),aboutanti-SemitisminHungaryin1882,butWernerKrausswasblacklisted,largelyforhisparticipationinthenotorious"JudSüss."…