Alraune (1928) 8/10

Directed by Henrik Galeen

Brigette Helm - Alraune ten Brinken

Paul Wegener - Professor Jakob ten Brinken

Following the tradition of Frankenstein Alraune is the story of a girl -- the fruit of a sordid experiment... created by a scientist, who inseminated a prostitute with the 'seed' of a hanged criminal. Proferssor Brinken is interested in whether it is our genes or our enviroment which governs our personalities -- he adopts Alraune as his own and sends her to a convent school. Sure she will be safe from any wicked influence, he observes her maturation... what will the results of his experiment be?

In the middle ages, the mandrake root (alraune, in German) was said to grow where the semen of hanged men fell when they were killed. Galeen's film is considered the difinitive version of Hanns Heinz Ewers' novel, a modern retelling of this tale (itself written in 1911).

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• silent
• film
• movie
• alraune
• mandrake
• galeen
• der
• golem
• wegener
• dr
• caligari
• brigette
• helm
• metropolis

[Coolattakatie]

@fjdmusicman she used to be very pretty...unfortunately after her first movie she started drawing on her eyebrows and making her face look pretty fake...

[LisaBreeBranch]

i thought i was only one who though this was boring ;/

[fjdmusicman]

I agree with you kumasie, I expected much more action and drama besides her flirting with men and close-ups of her face [which isn't very pretty ]..The first part with the man hanging was the only spooky thing so far. FW Marnau's film's make this look like childs play !

[kumasie01]

I do enjoy early German cinema and the premise for this movie is intriguing. Nonetheless it is a bit drawn out and slow moving thus far.