Michael (1924)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Carl Theodor Dreyer

Writers:

Herman Bang (novel)
Thea von Harbou (adaptation) ...
(more)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Triangle story: painter, his young male model, unscrupulous princess.

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Model | Painter | Artist | Ballet

Cast

Walter Slezak	...	Michael
Max Auzinger	...	Jules - Majordomo
Nora Gregor	...	Princess Lucia Zamikoff
Robert Garrison	...	Charles Switt - Journalist
Benjamin Christensen	...	Claude Zoret
Didier Aslan	...	Duc de Monthieu
Alexander Murski	...	Mr. Adelsskjold
Grete Mosheim	...	Mrs. Alice Adelsskjold
Karl Freund	...	LeBlanc - Art Dealer
Wilhelmine Sandrock	...	Widow de Monthieu
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mady Christians	...	Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Carl Theodor Dreyer

Writing credits
Herman Bang		(novel "Mikaël")
Thea von Harbou		(adaptation and screenplay) &
Carl Theodor Dreyer		(adaptation and screenplay)

Produced by
Erich Pommer	....	producer

Cinematography by
Karl Freund		(photographed by)
Rudolph Maté		(photographed by)

Costume Design by
Hugo Häring

Art Department
Hugo Häring	....	sets

Music Department
Neal Kurz	....	music compiler (2004 alternate version)
Neal Kurz	....	musician (2004 alternate version)

Other crew
David H. Shepard	....	video producer (2004 alternate version) (as David Shepard)

Thanks
Bret Hampton	....	with appreciation to (2004 alternate version)
Monica Paulsen	....	with appreciation to (2004 alternate version)
Ulrich Ruedel	....	with appreciation to (2004 alternate version)
Bret Wood	....	with appreciation to (2004 alternate version)

Production Companies

• Universum Film (UFA)

Distributors

• Universum Film (UFA) (1924) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1926) (USA) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Anthology Film Archives  with appreciation to (2004 alternate version) (as Anthology Film Archive)

Also Known As:

Chained (USA)
Chained: The Story of the Third Sex (USA)
Heart's Desire (UK)

Runtime:

Canada:93 min | USA:86 min (2004 alternate version) | 90 min (20 fps, 2006 restored version)

Country:

Germany

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Finland:S

Company:

Universum Film (UFA)

Goofs:

Continuity: When the painter Claude Zoret is talking to Mikael's creditor he switches from standing up to sitting down back to standing up between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Motto (titlecard): Motto: Now I can die in peace for I have known a great love.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Carl Th. Dreyer (1966)

Unjustly unknown

Silent drama about gay painter Claude Zoret (Benjamin Christensen) and his model/lover Mikael (Walter Slezak). A beautiful countess (Nora Gregor) commissions Zoret to paint her. He does but Mikael starts to fall in love with her. He drifts farther apart from Zoret and their relationship begins to crumble...

Being a gay man and a film addict I was surprised I had never heard of this film! It just popped up unannounced on TCM and I'm glad I taped it. A 1924 film dealing with gay men was way ahead of its time. Their relationship is not made explicit--it's mostly communicated by looks, gestures, dialogue and (in one instance) hand holding. Still that was groundbreaking for that day. It does have the predictable tragic ending...but that was the way it would have to end. It was refreshing to see that their relationship was portrayed as no big deal and no one makes a fuss over it. Very well done.

The acting is just great. It's astonishing to see Slezak so young and handsome and THIN. Christensen was just great too. Gregor isn't that good--but she's not given much to work with. Also this was beautifully directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. The version I saw also had a very good music score given to in by Kino International in 2004.

A very good, groundbreaking movie. It really deserves a wider audience. I give it an 8 because it IS a little slow at times.