The Troubled History of Pandora’s Box, a review of the new Blu-ray release starring Louise Brooks

Pop Matters has just published my new piece on Pandora's Box, the once controversial 1929 film starring Louise Brooks. My article is a review of the recent Eureka Entertainment release of the film on Blu-ray in the UK. My article can be found HERE.

Pandora’s Box has long had a troubled history. There have been controversies, censorship, and critical disdain, as well as the loss of the original negative. The film that has come down to us today is only an approximation of the film G.W. Pabst made in Germany during the silent era. Yet still, it remains a powerful piece of early cinema. Over the years, versions of the film have been released on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray all around the world. The best of them, up until now, may well have been the Criterion Collection release from 2006. 

As I mention near the beginning of my article, "This release is notable on a couple of accounts. It marks the film’s first-ever release on Blu-ray in England, and it marks the first-ever release anywhere of the Hugh Hefner-funded Martin Koerber-Deutsche Kinemathek George Eastman House restoration completed in 2009. In all likelihood, this 133-minute, 2K digital restoration is the best version of the film we may see in our lifetime." 

As a silent film buff, as Louise Brooks fan, and as an admirer of G.W. Pabst's film, I am very glad that Eureka released the film on Blu-ray; however, I am just as disappointed in some of the bonus material included in this limited edition release. To learn exactly what disappointed me, and what I had to say about it, you will have to read my article, "The Troubled History of Silent Film Pandora’s Box."

In short, I point to factual errors and the inclusion of images that are 1) not from Pandora's Box, and 2) not Louise Brooks. 

Regarding my first point, the use of images from Diary of a Lost Girl in a booklet about Pandora's Box; I should mention something I didn't mention in my that article -- that Eureka is not alone in this blunder. Criterion beat them too it years ago in the booklet which accompanied their 2006 release of an earlier restoration of the film. See page 48 of "Reflections on Pandora's Box", the booklet which accompanies the Criterion box set. 

Regarding my second point, the use of images in a video essay about Louise Brooks which do not actually depict Louise Brooks; I don't know why, but Pop Matters didn't run the images in question, which I submitted to them along with my article. Nevertheless, here they are -- two images of two girls, both of whom happen to have bobbed hair and resemble, in a general way, the future actress. I would guess both images date from the 1920s.Both are anonymous images from the time, one a studio portrait, the other a snapshot.

Despite my reservations regarding some of the bonus material, this Eureka release is something special – and is recommended. It is worth noting that it is a limited-edition release numbering only 3,000 copies. If you’re thinking of purchasing a copy of this silent film masterpiece, don’t hesitate – even if that means purchasing a multi-region Blu-ray player to view it, as I did.

As I allude to in my Pop Matters article, I was fortunate enough to have seen this version of Pandora's Box on the BIG screen of the Castro theater as part of the 2012 San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Read more about that historic screening in "The Preservationist and the Playboy: Restoring Pandora’s Box," an article in the 2012 SFSFF program. I remember sitting next to Brooksie (fellow Louise Brooks devotee and Camille Scaysbrook.), and both of us being thrilled at this print of the film -- as if we were seeing it anew. By the way, I wrote an essay on the film for that year's SFSFF program, which you can read HERE.

You can see the look of awe on my face when I met the production team behind the Hugh Hefner-funded Martin Koerber-Deutsche Kinemathek George Eastman House restoration of Pandora's Box, David Ferguson (left) and Angela Holm (right). That's me in the middle looking gobsmacked. I thanked them for their great work, and we spoke a little about what went into this restoration. I recall David called me "the keeper of the flame."

We all make mistakes. I know, I make plenty of them. I hope I don't come off too complainy, either in my Pop Matters article or in this follow-up blog, but the inaccurate stuff I see online -- not to mention all of the clickbait, fake news, and sloppy reporting -- irritate me. In this day and age, getting it right is important. Facts matter. And getting it wrong has repercussions, as when a seller lists a picture of Louise Brooks on eBay which isn't Louise Brooks, and then it gets retweeted or posted on Facebook, or when the London Times reviewed the Eureka release of Pandora's Box and ran a scene still from Diary of a Lost Girl.

THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2024. Further unauthorized use prohibited. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.