潘多拉的魔盒

By the definition of British novelist Elinor Glyn, “the possessor of ‘it’ must be absolutely un-self conscious, and must have that magnetic ‘sex appeal’ which is irresistible”. Louise Brooks absolutely fits all the standard of being an It girl at the 30s. In Georg Wilhelm Pabst’s film, Pandora’s Box, Louise Brooks acts a frivolous woman gets messed up in a bunch of dramatic events. Somehow I feel like the character Lulu is the product of the patriarchal society. By the progression of the storyline, Pabst conveys a message that Lulu’s mournful destiny is also, inevitably, “demonstrated the way the unconscious of patriarchal society has structured film form”, suggested by Laura Mulvey.

Lulu’s entire life is manipulated by the men in her life. Firstly comes her father, who raise her as a prostitute and together they fish “patrons”. Later, the unwilling marriage of Dr. Schön and Lulu drives Dr. Schön crazy and leads to his death as Lulu was convicted manslaughter. Also, the film is innovative in the way that it adds a lesbian figure. The rather masculine countess in the end sacrificed for Lulu and also becomes a victim of the male-dominance community.

Apart from the ideology of the film. In silent movies, music always takes place of lines and represents the mood and spirit of the characters. The music turned from joyful to ominous the moment Dr. Schön opens the door and sees the other man drinking in his room. (49 min) The non-diegetic sound specially designed for the film piles up the entire story and raises stake for the scene.

In the scene that she is getting undressed, the wedding dress flipped off her shoulder. (55 min) Our gaze as well as Dr. Schön’s links to scopophilia. As indicated by Laura Mulvey, “[mainstream cinema’s] formal preoccupations reflect the psychical obsessions of the society which produced it”.

We can also look at the two murder scenes in the film. When Lulu kills Dr. Schön, there is no sound of the shooting, and no wound revealing. The only thing showing him being killed is the smoke arising. Again in the scene that the series murderer kills Lulu, there is no wound or blood showing. With the montage of his ferocious face, savage eyes, the gaze of him onto the blade and in the end, Lulu’s hand let go off his arm. It reminds me of Psycho by Hitchcock. The epic bathroom scene is also composed of a series of montage indirectly presenting the murder to the spectator.

“I have no money”
“Come along anyway. I like you.” He holds her hand desperately. She looks back, with the same innocent smile. His face turns to a desired, longing expression and she still, looking calmly as to a long gone friend. Doesn’t she know what he’s after? I doubt that. The ending is sad in some way but also seems like the best outcome for everyone. Lulu’s father ended up enjoying the Christmas pudding. Alwa looks back and leaves all behind. Everything just goes on as if nothing had happened, as if Lulu never existed.

        在由Pabst导演的这部影片里，Brooks扮演的Lulu代表了我们人类对于女性的一切幻想，她善良，她邪恶，她性感，她纯真，时而如小鸟依人，时而视男人似玩物，Louise Brooks是所有女性的化身，至少是在这部电影里．
        电影中的配角们：
        Schigolch这个老头其实是个很复杂的人物，你可以尊称他为Lulu的父亲，但也可以蔑称他为＂拉皮条的＂．称他为＂父亲＂，是因为Lulu曾这么叫他（我相信是他把Lulu养大成人，并教会她＂谋生＂的本事）．说他是＂拉皮条的＂，（顾名思义，不用解释了吧！）．Schigolch的所作所为，恰恰证明了我以上的看法，他在赌船上救Lulu出虎口，之后在伦敦，怂恿其卖淫，间接了造成了她最后的死亡悲剧．
        再来谈谈另一个＂父亲＂，Schon先生，一个道貌岸然的上层人物，Lulu的情夫，在得到一次＂政治联姻＂的机会后，他毅然决然的抛弃了Lulu，最后又不得不违背自己意念的娶回了lulu，最后却命丧Lulu之手，（顺便说一句，他可以被看是电影中＂父权＂的代表.)
        ＂儿子＂--Alwa，他爱着Lulu，但在他父亲活着的时候，甚至不敢明确对Lulu表白，在人生遭遇逆境的时刻，他也没有勇气和没有能力奋起反抗，最终甚至不得不靠Lulu＂站街＂来养活他，他是另一个造成LUlu最后死亡的间接杀人犯，在这部电影里，他是＂无能＂的代名词．
        最后来说说那个同性恋者，Geschwitz ，从某种角度来说，她是这部影片中最具悲剧性的角色，因为在她生活的那个年代，她连＂爱＂的权利都没有，她只能默默地爱着Lulu,甚至牺牲自己去帮助她，但却不能（也不敢）求得任何回报．
        影片的结构：
        电影其实是三段式，在第一段里，Lulu混迹于上流社会之中，她的美貌和魅力是她无往而不利的武器．所有人都拜倒在她的石榴裙下。但自从她杀了Schon之后，一切就变得不一样了，对于她的审判可以看成是代表上层社会的魏玛共和国政府的法官们所主持的（至少导演Pabst是这么想的）．所以，中下层社会不干了，他们（也就是Schigolch和他的朋友们，也有那些一起旁听案件的市民们）制造混乱放走了Lulu．
        但是，中下层社会接纳了Lulu没有呢？显然没有．（这时影片进入了第二段）．在中下层社会成员活动的舞台（赌船）上，Lulu的女性魅力，再也不能俘获人们的灵魂，在这里人们最想要其实是金钱（上层社会不缺钱）．她成了被敲诈的对象，成了被贩卖的对象，最后是＂父亲＂－－Schigolch（至少所谓亲情是超越一切利益的）．和Geschwitz救了她（＂爱情＂同样超越一切），Lulu和Schigolch与Alwa逃到了伦敦．
        至此，我们进入影片的第三段．首先声明一下，这是我第二次看这部电影，但就像我第一次看这部电影时一样，我还是觉得这一段很突兀，但它对我来说有着一种难以演说的神秘吸引力，
        ＂恶魔杰克＂就像从地底下钻出来的一样，忽然出现．当然，还有那个＂女童子军＂，从某种程度上说，她是＂天使＂，她给＂＂恶魔杰克＂食物，可以看作是某种对于他灵魂的净化，但是，＂天使＂成功了没有呢？显然没有，因为，在这之后，他杀害了Lulu，当然，你可以说她的死净化了＂恶魔杰克＂（纯洁的女人Lulu的鲜血精华了＂恶魔杰克＂的灵魂，就像Ingmar Bergman在＜处女泉＞中所作的一样），但真的是这样的吗？我不这么看，你只要看着＂恶魔杰克＂杀死Lulu时脸上的表情，就知道在这一刻，撒旦的意念主宰了＂杰克＂的行为，但影片结尾处的的童子军游行（高唱着圣诞颂歌）又如何解释呢？难道是对Lulu之死的庆祝吗？我不能解释了，或者说，是不能接受这样的结局．
        但这至少让我看出Pabst对于他所处的那个社会及其女性的态度．
        先说说＂社会＂，电影中的＂恶魔杰克＂被描绘成一个穷困潦倒的普通人，所以他杀害那些无辜的妓女（包括Lulu)，可以看做他对于整个社会（至少在他认为是比他高的社会阶层成员）的报复．
        再谈谈＂女性＂，在这部电影里，lulu被所有人消费，上层人消费她的美貌，中下层人消费她的钱，（或者把她当成商品变卖，以换回金钱）．
        但这个可怜的女人为什么还要被＂安排＂被杀死呢？因为在Pabst眼里，Lulu代表着女权主义，所以她必须被代表着男权主义的＂恶魔杰克＂所杀死．
  是的，Pabst的思想是矛盾的，就像和他同时代的许多艺术家一样．

影片描述的是交际花Lulu的一生，从视角来说，没有把她刻画成蛇蝎美人，而用潘多拉来形容也是不贴切，只能说周围的男性因其美貌、妩媚、放荡等释放了“欲望”的潘多拉之魔盒，占有、欺骗、利用、敲诈等等作恶，她就像是一个出发介质，而这些作恶都不是意而嘱之，而从其不幸的在酒吧度过的幼年，渴望爱与生活与周围男性相互利用，直到最后被杀害，都是反应了在那样的社会下的可悲而令人唾弃的人性负面，这点上和左拉的《娜娜》是有一定的异曲同工。同时，美丽动人的Louise Brooks更是很好地演绎了这个独特而又丰富的角色，那人畜无害的微笑打开了欲望之门。