Pandora’s Box

In Brief: G.W. Pabst may not be particularly well-known outside of film nerd circles, but there's no doubt that nearly every filmmaker of any significance that followed in his wake either consciously or unconsciously bears the indelible mark of his influence. And of all Pabst's films, Pandora's Box (1929) may well be the most notable. Both timely and timeless, this lurid tale of sex and death may well be the definitive melodrama of the late silent era, and despite Pabst's adroit direction, is only redeemed from the campiness of its salacious plot by the utterly guileless performance of Louise Brooks. At turns sentimental and nihilistic but constantly sizzling with erotic energy, Pandora's Box is the perfect vehicle for Brooks' overt sexuality, and Pabst captured every nuanced gesture, every flutter of an eyelid, with the meticulous obsession of a man transfixed by fleeting beauty the likes of which he knew he would never see again. It's not only a must-see for anyone interested in film history, but it's also one of the sexiest movies ever made.