The Silver Screen Oasis

Phantom (1922)
In this silent film, a store clerk risks his future to pursue his obsession with a beautiful, ghostly woman. Cast: Alfred Abel, Lil Dagover, Lya De Putti. Dir: F.W. Murnau. BW-117 mins, TV-PG

The above film is on TCM on Monday, June 30,2008 at 12:00 AM EDT. Has anyone seen it? Could you please recommend what to watch for? Here's a TCM article about it. Any Murnau sounds intriguing, no? Thank you for any responses.

moirafinnie,

This film was briefly on DVD from Flicker Alley , but I believe it is now out of print? Sorry to say, I do not have the DVD. I recorded the movie on TCM the last time it was aired on DVD-R. I believe this was march of 2007? Must admit, I never finished watching it, but other people have said that they felt the movie was very good?

Hey, how do I get an Avatar here? I have never had one on this forum before? I have been able to use them elsewhere, but this is a different system used here?

I've never seen it Moira but I agree, any Murnau film sounds worth watching.

Gagman , please see my pm regarding your avatar request, which outlines how to acquire one. I hope that helps a bit.

Alison, I'll try to see The Phantom, since it seems to be fairly rare, and might add to my continuing education in cinema. Don't want to flunk the big exam that might come up sometime??!!

Maybe the birthday fairy or Santa will think of me when he sees a basic dvd-recorder someday soon, so I can start making more copies of these movies.

Moira,

I have the Flicker Ally DVD of Phantom and must admit that the film is mediocre at best. Yes, it’s Murnau, so it’s well worth seeing, but it is certainly not one of his classics.

Featuring a novel’s worth of characters and plot, the film is essentially the tale of an aspiring poet’s love at first sight, and his obsession with obtaining that woman (or, at the very least, one who looks like her) at any cost.

Unfortunately the film is told in a framing device, which reveals the ending even before the film begins, so the story is more about the “how” and “why” and not so much the “what”. Another “problem” is the performance of the film’s star, Alfred Abel, who over-emotes in every scene. While all of the other performers are rather natural, Abel seems to be acting in another movie entirely, one produced in the early teens, judging by his acting.

That said, this is a Murnau movie, and there are some spectacular images, particularly in the final third of the film, where Murnau uses some special effects to reflect Abel’s inner turmoil. (At one point, he’s at table in a club, and the table descends downward while motorcycles drive the cylindrical walls above him.)

All in all, worth seeing, but not a masterpiece.

By the way, the restoration is wonderful. The image is in very good shape, with sharp detail and very little damage. The orchestral score by Robert Israel is so good that is certainly elevated my enjoyment of the film.