The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-30
'Hell on Earth" At the Acme
Is Vital Anti-War Film
Conception and Treatment, However, Is Not
Adequate to Theme, Says Critic
JErpyx
By LEO T. HURWITZ

"HELL ON EARTH" an independent
German film, directed by Victor
Trivas, from a story by LeOnhard
Frank, with Vladimir SolSolOff,
Ernst Busch and Louis Douglas, at
the Acme Theatre.
THE current film at the Acme
Theatre, "HeD on Earth" has
been hailed by critics abroad as a
remarkable indictment against war.
It IS in many respects an excellent
picture, one certainly worth seeing,
and it displays an honest feeling for
character and people so rare in
the usual movie. But whatever its
virtues, which are many, it remains
unfortunately true that its coneep-
ton and its treatment are inadequate
to its great and powerful theme.
The aim relates the story Of five
men: FTenchman, a Negro, a Jew.
an Englishman, and German,
snatched from their separate daily
lives in different corners Of Europe,
caught up in the hurricane of war,
and thrown together in a shell-torn
dugout in No-Nlan'S Land. The early
sequences, treating intimately the
lonely details Of the lives OF these
men, so unnlindfuI of impending war,
are delicate and delightful portrayals
Of common men, rich with sylnpa-
thetic understanding. The camera
catches the Englishman drawing the
Grapes from the window Just before
nurse announces the birth Of his
child. The Frenchman fiirts with a
girl on a streetcar and makes a date.
The Jews marriage to a beautiful
girl is celebrated with holiday
dinner and "chasSidic" dances. The
Negro does a song and dance in a
Montmarte cabaret. The German
carpenter stops his work for a NOM
ent and plays with his child on the
floor. 1t is in this first part OF the
film that Trivas, the director, does
his best job. He brings fresh and
imaginative technique, unhampered
by the already crystallized conven-
tions Of the talking picture. His per-
ception is honest and sensitive.
CThe picture up to this point does
not fail to live up to the superlative
praise that critics in France, England
and Germany have seen At to hestow
upon it. But in the war sequences, |
where the director attacks the essence
Of his theme, in which his grip should
be flmest, the movement Of the film
slows down to a dull pace and the
drama develops stumblingly.)
WAR Is declared. And these men,
" unknown to each other, find
themselves enemies at war, cut off
from their respective regiments be- |
tween the battle lines and forced to
live together until they can return |
to their ranks. They begin vitupera-
lively to attack each others nations,
and periodically to defend their own. !
But this antagonism is soon shattered |
by the insistently laughter of the Ne
gro, who explains that only the arti-
fetal barriers OF language and uniform
separates them and sets them upon |
each other. The film ends with the I
C4AIiaI4O oJlIDOl VI i've HASH uld4CiiluS i
united across the battlefield, batter
ing down the barbed wire entangle- !
ments with the butts of their guns.
This concentrating symbol Is the !
key to the structural as well as ideo- I
logical weaknesses of the picture. /
Complete the image-five men, tear
ing down barbed wire fences, march |
ing straight into the guns of soldiers
who will be commanded TO fire on the |
deserters. Thus would end their in