The New York herald., 1921-12-05
Reign of Terror
VpidIy Brought
to Life in Film
'All for a Woman Remarkable
Portrayal Of the French
Revolution.

STRAND--sAII for Woman" First
National attraction presented by An
drew J. Calls CHAN and directed by
DimItrl Buchowetzki. Edited by Julian
Johnson and titled by Randolph Bart
lett.
Look out, lads, the French Revolution
Is upon you! First 1t poked it's head
above the film horizon in Passion ;"
now II has come to pass very vitality and
sts'ringly in "All for Woman" and
presently d. w. Griffith promises red
hot slice ol It In "The Two Orphans"
1t is now up to Griffith to produce the
crowning sensation OF his career. for
those who left the Strand yesterday car
ried away the impression thct they had
been biting their fingernails during the
| photodramatic masterpiece OF the year.
| Dlnitri BuchowetzM has galvanized
! the Reign of Terror into life on the
1 screen as 1t has never been done before,
/ so that even Passion" beside 1t seems
/ to be merely the kind of frenzy evoked
| by glass OF lemonaGe. 1t Is described
as a European production, though it Is
quite obviously German--one glance at
the cast confirms that. BuchowetzSi
| himself Is called a Russian. but he may
have eaten more than one meal in Poland
I and Germany.
| Whatever his nationality, he has done
a marvellous thing in writing and direct
ing this tremendous photoplay, that
sweeps one along as hresistibly as
would one of the mobs in It's progress
and that leaves one digging ones nails
into the arms of ones chair or ones
companion. 1t bristles with sheer
drama. the kind that Is hard on the
breath. Girls who care not fig for
! cooked hats or the historical costume
play will exclaim over 1t: Gee, isn't the
French Revolution wonderful!"
Acted and staged without q flaw, its
single weakness Is the erotic title that
has been slapped on it for the American
trade. with the evident intention, as in
the case OF Passion" of limiting at the
good old sex stuff. But that is nom
sense. The picture deals primarily with
the developing antagonism between
Georges jacques Danton and Macmillan
Robespierre, with Danton's utter disgust
at the needless bloodshed and Robes
pierre's merclless insistence on it. and
itycarries one with cumulative sense Of
suspense to Darton's final magnificent
words It tle guillotine-a moment
which, fortunately. is not drawn out to
the poignant length of an after dinner
speech.
DdulOH 3 rescue anu subsequent at
traction of a fleeing aristocratic girl
leading the wanton he has picked up to
run in jealousy to Robespierre, Is only
the incidental means of crossing these
two rivers of fire. The outstanding
feature of the film is it's remarkably
vivid Characterization. which accom-
plishes the miracle of showing that per-
sonagcs can move and breathe before
the camera without having the director 8
megaphone sticking into the lens. By
various little touches these Continental
actors reveal the art of building up a
real impersonation, but most of all II Is
shown in the varying and authentic
manner in which they march from the
Luxembourg prison to the guillotine
with no indication that they realize the
eyes of history are upon them.
Effective Scene.
BY their backs alone De Sechernttlt
reveals his aristocracy, Gen. Wester-
mann his logged, military stiffness
Dcsotoulins his poets shrinking from
death and Ddnton his innate dignity
and force that made him an idol of the
people when he could forget his inclina-
tions to spend a jolly evening. In the
after role Emil Jannings far outdoes
even the impact he made in Deception"
he lifts himself, indeed, to the pin
nacle OF character acting in the cinema
world by raising an eyebrow or So II
Is an extraordinarily we'll shaded Dor
tralt or the man who could throw up
his powerful position in petulancy. turn
DICK by his words alone n mob bent on
MS destruction. win the crowd to laugh
ing with him at his own trial and bring
hem pouring down the tribunal to
rescue hlm--a superbly effective scene.
mat probably puts to shame even Max
Reinhardts reproduction of the same
moment on the Berlin stage.
Ills interchanges with Ro6cspierre are
MADE the more intense by Werner
kraus's icy and sinister portrayal of
mat monster. making him only a human
snake, with no emotion except hate. Rob.
ert Shoitz. Joseph RLmich, Ferdinand
Aten-all give Characterization fit
tlng the time and their roles. while
Edouard Winterstein's performance OF
Westermonr almost hits one between
the eyes. The women, who are Misses
Holde Worner. Mafy Deshaft and Char
lotte Anders. have little to do but weep.
but manage to look handsome even AT
that. The action is so enthraIiine one
hardly notices the splendid settings. psr-
ticularly the imposing tribunal scene.
while tho mobs are the very best brand
ever turned out in a German movie
Probably much credit goes to the Amer
lean adapters as the expert stage hands
behind the scenes.