September 2019, arsenal cinema

Filmspotting. Exploring the Deutschen Kinemathek’s Film Archive

DIE GROSSE PAUSE, 1927

In DIE GROSSE PAUSE (The Long Intermission, G 1927) the star violinist Gabriele (Henny Porten) lives only for her work until she suddenly falls in love with a young count. Though they marry on the spur of the moment, they immediately decide to divorce so as not to confront the count’s relatives with this sudden decision and to get married again with the family’s agreement. During the “long intermission” however, unbridgeable differences in their attitudes to life come to the fore. Carl Froelich’s spirited comedy wins over the viewers with its ultra-modern decor that reflects Gabriele’s “new woman” lifestyle. The windows and floor are cubist and a wall painting in the style of Oskar Schlemmer characterizes the violinist as an exponent of a radical new understanding of gender roles. The film will be shown as part of the “Modern Cinema — Film in the Weimar Republic” exhibition and to mark the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus. Introduction: Nils Warnecke (ah) (30.9.)