Phantom

Murnau is at his best when he's using incredible technique to make a simple story resonate. This seems more complicated than it needs to be, and any directorial flair is few and far between. Generally pretty boring.

Phantom was lost for many decades and recovered in 2006, but those who expected another Nosferatu, Sunrise or Faust must have been disappointed to find that we had not been missing much. Its main function is as a cautionary tale for would-be poets: Don't even try it - warns Phantom - it's just a Ponzi scheme. You will end up losing your money, your job, your social standing, the trust of your family, you'll get thrown in the slammer like a common criminal. Stick to being a clerk.

SPOILER ALERT: Overlong tale about morality and desire features beautiful colour tinting and a couple of memorable scenes and images; a sequence where the camera is circling around rooms, devouring time and space, reflecting the psychological disorientation of its central protagonist, is stunning and among Murnau's finest work, and the story unfolds rather unpredictably before unravelling with a tacked on 'redemption' epilogue, which robs its denouement of sufficient impact and force.

There are some great shots, acting and direction but pacing was not one of the things I enjoyed here. The film felt every minutes of its 2+ hour run time and there were some really dull moments. Its entertaining enough but I have to watch this in two sittings.

64.500