A mesmerising and atmospheric film from one of the finest directors of all, G.W. Pabst. Wonderfully shot by Eugen Schufftan with a score by Honegger and production design by Hubert. The cast is gold-plated. Dita Parlo, who had the distinction of starring in two of the greatest films of all time: 'L'Atalante' and 'La Grande Illusion', brings her own air of mystery to the role of Mademoiselle Docteur. Pierre Fresnay, Louis Jouvet and Pierre Blanchar represent wonderful value needless to say. Jouvet as usual steals all of his scenes. It takes a while to warm up but is so well constructed that the suspense becomes almost unbearable, climaxing in one of the most exciting car chases on film. Apparently an English version appeared soon after with Parlo reprising her role but John Loder as the love interest would be a distinct negative. An earlier film directed by Sam Wood called 'Stamboul Quest', starring Myrna Loy as Mademoiselle Docteur is essentially harmless and marred by Hollywood's obsession with happy endings. 'Fraulein Doktor' directed by Lattuarda, the plot of which has no connection with Pabst's version, is remembered for the gruesome battle sequences but is, on the whole, a disappointing film. Stick with Pabst.
3 Reviews
Hornets Nest
writers_reign25 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
In some ways this anticipates Welles' Mr. Arkadin inasmuch as it is an uneven film crammed with brilliant performers, directed by an acknowledged master with a plot verging on the bizarre. Welles, of course didn't need much help with screenplays - if we exclude Citizen Kane - yet Pabst had three on the payroll two of whom, the exotic named Irma von Cube and Jacques Natanson, had some tasty credits; von Cube had worked on both Mayerling and Johnny Belinda whilst Natanson worked on Max Ophuls final films, La Ronde, Le Plaisir and Lola Montes yet none of these was remotely like Salonika - Nest Of Spies which moves from Paris to Berne to Salonika in the first two reels setting up encounters between top-billed Dita Parlo and the likes of Louis Jouvet, Viviane Romance, Pierre Fresnay, Jean-Pierre Barrault, Gaston Modot, Pierre Blancheur and Charles Dullin among others. Some are little more than cameos, as in the case of Barrault, a lunatic who manages to intrigue via a schtick with a melon; Louis Jouvet seems to be anticipating Akim Tamiroff in For Whom The Bell Tolls - on the other hand Pepe Le Moko was released about the same time so maybe someone figured Jouvet would make a passable Arab/gypsy fortune teller. For good measure Viviane Romance throws in an emotive song and a good, if slightly puzzling time is had by all. This is a film of moments rather than a whole but definitely worth seeing.
aka "Salonique : nid d'espions"
dbdumonteil15 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
It belongs to the French period of GW Pabst's career .The director had an international cast at his disposal:his fellow countrywoman Dita Parlo-who starred at the same time in Renoir's "La Grande Illusion" - and the creme de la creme of French actors: Louis Jouvet,Pierre Fresnay,Jean-Louis Barrault ,Pierre Blanchar and the bad gal Vivianne Romance.
It's a -rather confusing- spy thriller :Spy Parlo is in Thessalonique ,Greece ,at the end of WW1.Bulgaria is said to negotiate a separate peace agreement with the allies.But as everybody knows, prepare for peace if you wish to have war and as the other title reads ,there are plenty of spies in the place.
The plot is muddled and hard to catch up with.Some scenes are memorable,no matter the connection they have with the desultory story.
-Jean-Louis Barrault,in an one-scene performance ,buying a melon ;the audience thinks there's something hidden in his purchase,but there's isn't :he is as mad as a hatter.
-Vivianne Romance's song on a stage "Qu'en pensez-vous? ";the same's death in Jouvet's shop,a model of film noir scene ,with the melons rolling on the ground.
-Parlo's tapping the consul's phone.
-the final car chase.
In my copy the movie ends with Parlo's car burning.But there is a different conclusion in other copies: Parlo escapes unscathed but suffers from amnesia.
Like this?try these.....
Marthe Richard ,Au Service de La France Raymond Bernard 1937
Dishonored Joseph Von Sternberg 1931
Mata Hari ,Agent H21,Jean-Louis Richard 1964 (screenplay and dialog by Truffault)
It's a -rather confusing- spy thriller :Spy Parlo is in Thessalonique ,Greece ,at the end of WW1.Bulgaria is said to negotiate a separate peace agreement with the allies.But as everybody knows, prepare for peace if you wish to have war and as the other title reads ,there are plenty of spies in the place.
The plot is muddled and hard to catch up with.Some scenes are memorable,no matter the connection they have with the desultory story.
-Jean-Louis Barrault,in an one-scene performance ,buying a melon ;the audience thinks there's something hidden in his purchase,but there's isn't :he is as mad as a hatter.
-Vivianne Romance's song on a stage "Qu'en pensez-vous? ";the same's death in Jouvet's shop,a model of film noir scene ,with the melons rolling on the ground.
-Parlo's tapping the consul's phone.
-the final car chase.
In my copy the movie ends with Parlo's car burning.But there is a different conclusion in other copies: Parlo escapes unscathed but suffers from amnesia.
Like this?try these.....
Marthe Richard ,Au Service de La France Raymond Bernard 1937
Dishonored Joseph Von Sternberg 1931
Mata Hari ,Agent H21,Jean-Louis Richard 1964 (screenplay and dialog by Truffault)
See also
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