[FilmReview]MädcheninUniform(1931)andTheseThree(1936)

Doublefeaturestime!GermanfemalefilmmakerLeontineSagan’sMÄDCHENINUNIFORMisavanguardofqueercinemamadein1931,andWilliamWyler’sTHESETHREE,arrived5yearslater,isbasedonLilianHellman’ssapphicplayTheChildren’sHour,butlesbianismiscompletelyeffacedduetotheHaysCode,andWylerwouldlaterremakea“veritable”versionin1961starringAudreyHepburn,ShirleyMacLaineandJamesGarner.MÄDCHENINUNIFORMisadaptedfromChristaWinsloe’splayandoldhandCarlFroelichiscreditedastheartisticdirectortolendahelpinghandtoSagan’sfirstfeature.Corrallinganall-femalecast,thestoryisexclusivelyconfinedinanall-girlboardingschoolinthedogendoftheWeimarRepublic.Governedbyaprimandpropertyheadmistress(Unda,anexemplaryschoolmarmadornedbyapairofpince-nez),theschoolaimstogroomyoungdaughtersfrommilitaryfamiliestobechild-bearersoffuturesoldiers,theheadmistressexclaimsthattheyshouldberaisedonhungeranddiscipline.Butwherethereisoppression,thereisrevolt,notallthegirlsaretoeingtheline,especiallythevivaciousIlsevonWesthagen(Schwanneke),amischief-makerwhosemisdeed(smugglinglettertoherparentsformoremoneybecausethemgirlsarealwayshungry,eveninSundays),doesn’tdeteriorateonlybecausethecaringinterventionofFraüleinvonBernburg(Wieck),thejudicious,tendergovernesswhodoesn’tseeeyetoeyewithheadmistress’imperiouscommand.FraüleinvonBernburgisthestarteacherthateverygirladmiresandadores,andhergoodnightkissisaritualofutterbliss.Fora14-year-oldManuela(Thiele),herattachmenttoFraüleinvonBernburgismoreintense,unlikeothers,theirgoodnightkissisonthelips,andshefallsinlovewithher(shecanbarelyspeakinfrontofFraüleinvonBernburg,afool-proofsignofinfatuation),butasanadult,FraüleinvonBernburgknowsbetternottospoilthisfragilebondandoversteptheboundary.WhenManuelaistheworsefordrinkafterasuccessfulschoolplay,sheletssliphersecretinafitofeuphoria,anditsrepercussionsareresoundinglypathos-stricken,yet,thefilmisanythingbutamiseryporn,afterflagsupitsanti-Fascistmessage,itpropitiouslybringsdownthecurtainsandleavesthedenouementinambiguityratherthananythingmoreconcrete.Thatsaid,itsquot;loveislovequot;affirmationoughtnottobeeclipsedbyitsvehementpoliticalopprobrium.Wieckhasaverypeculiarpresenceofmindandimpassivemienwhichsuggestscharisma,mysteryandindissolubility,andThielepossessesthatphotogenicandexpressivevisageofinnocuousness,youthfulnessandvulnerability,itisveryhardtocredittheyhavethesameage,bothwerebornin1908.Kudostothecastingprocess!Then,speakingofSagan’sdirectorialendeavor,itistohercreditthatwedonotfeelconstrainedinasinglelocation,hercameraneverfeelsplodding,hersenseofcompositionisoverallfelicitous,likethevertiginousshotwhichforeshadowswhereatragedymightoccur,ortheremarkableclose-upsforegroundedinsoftfocus.Moreover,herfemaleidentityalsohelpstoreassuretheyoungfemalecastandelicitmostspontaneousreactionsandoutburstfromthem,nottomentionthejubilantsolidarity.Sagan’sproficiencycancontendwiththosefromanymemberoftheothersex,yetsheonlymadethreemoviesinherentirelife,whichmakesMÄDCHENINUNIFORMsuchapuissanthueandcrytoredresstheinequalityinthedirector’schair,andindividually,itisanendearinglystirringfilmcompletedwithtruegritsandpluperfecttact.THESETHREE,ontheotherhand,exceptforbeingmarredforitsinborncop-out,isalmostidenticalwithTHECHILDREN’SHOUR(1961),Hellman’sdialogueremainslargelyintactevenifthecentralUranianaffectionisdebasedtoaheteronormativelovetriangle.Twobest-friends-cum-school-teachers,MarthaDobie(Hopkins)andKarenWright(Oberon),bothattracttothewholesomelyhandsomedoctorJosephCardin(McCrea),buthetakestheshinetoKaren,soMarthahastohideherfeelings.Butaviciousliefromoneoftheircare,thebratty,self-serving,manipulativeMaryTilford(Granville)willshatterthefabricoftheirschoolandrelationships,assimpleasthat.However,poeticjusticemightarrivebelatedly,itisneverabsent.Butbythatpoint,audiencemightbetoodespondentandbenumbedtotossacare.MostafterthoughtcanbeaptlycopiedfrommyreviewofTHECHILDREN’SHOUR(1961),buttherearesomedivergence.Foronething,Granville’sOscar-nominatedperformanceofanobnoxiousbadseedissoextremeandsingle-minded(PattyMcCormackgivesamoresuperiorimpressionofspill-chillingapathyinMervynLeRoy’sTHEBADSEED,1956),asenseofaweactuallytranspireswhenshefinallygetsawhackintheface,inthehandsofnoneotherthanthefearsomeMargaretHamilton,howsatisfactoryitis!Andintherealmofprodigiouschildactors,MarciaMaeJones’extraordinaryembodimentofthepatsyRosalieWellsiseverybitasstupendousifnotmore.Tellingly,thoseyounggirlsx27;copioustheatricsmaybetraythedifferencewhethertheyarehandledbyamanorawoman.WhileTHESETHREEisunexceptionableinitsnarratologyandstocksoundstageartificiality,nooneshoulddenyHellman’sscriptisafertilelandforitsactresses,CatherineDoucet’shighfalutinandexceedinglyself-servingAuntieMortar(aroleplayedbyHopkinsinthe1961remake)mightbebracketedasoneofthemostodiouscharacterseveronthescreen(withGranville’sMaryhotonherheels),yetherunrepentantcarriageandlocutionisfabuloustogape.Asadifferentkindofirritant,AmeliaTilford,Mary’sdotinggrandmother,stagethespianAlmaKruger,inherveryfirstscreenrole,presidesoverwithuttercomposureandlater,registersadignifiedpangofguiltandpainthatcomestosavetheday.Amongthethreeleads,McCreaekesoutjustadequatecharmtoconvinceusheisacatcher,hehasmorefunthrowingsideswipesatAuntieMortarthanspoutingsweet-nothings;andOberon,rightinherprimeandisgameenoughtobechipperbutalsohasthatessentialdemurenessasaclassicHollywooddiva,almostvirtuoustoafault.So,wecanonlyrelyonHopkinstogingerupasemblanceofperversionthatgoesmissingintherevampedstory,andsheistheredoeswhatshedoesbest,addinglayersandlayersofpent-upemotions(bothtoJosephandheraunt)eventhereisnothinghappensexteriorly.WhyherMarthashouldn’thaveadarlingofherown?TheremustbeamanforherinViennatoo,perhapsawomaneven?InTHESETHREE’sgynophobicbackwater,Marthaisanechtheroineandthefilmfailshercravenly.referentialentries:Wyler’sTHECHILDREN’SHOUR(1961,7.3/10);JosefvonSternberg’sTHEBLUEANGEL(1930,7.4/10).Title:MädcheninUniformYear:1931Country:GermanyLanguage:German,French,EnglishGenre:Drama,RomanceDirector:LeontineSaganScreenwriters:ChristaWinsloe,FriedrichDammannbasedontheplaybyChristaWinsloeMusic:HansonMilde-MeissnerCinematography:ReimerKuntze,FranzWeihmayrEditing:OswaldHafenrichterCast:HerthaThieleDorotheaWieckEmiliaUndaHedyKrillaEllenSchwannekeGertruddeLalskyErikaMannAnnemarievonRochhausenElseEhserRating:8.1/10Title:TheseThreeYear:1936Country:USALanguage:EnglishGenre:Drama,RomanceDirector:WilliamWylerScreenwriter:LillianHellmanMusic:AlfredNewmanCinematography:GreggTolandEditing:DanielMandellCast:MiriamHopkinsMerleOberonJoelMcCreaCatherineDoucetBonitaGranvilleAlmaKrugerMarciaMaeJonesCarmencitaJohnsonWalterBrennanMargaretHamiltonRating:6.7/10本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。