Review of Pandora's Box (2009) by Keenan S — 04 May 2018

Pandora's Box is the sort of film an actor would kill to have themselves immortalized in cinematic history in the way Louise Brooks' legendary, seductive (I might be a homosexual, but I'd be damned if I didn't find her transfixing and attractive), inimitable performance as Lulu.

Her performance is often hailed as one of the greatest ever captured on film and needless to say, the rumors are true. Louise Brooks as Lulu is one of the greatest performances ever recorded. I'd been curious about silent films and had only seen a very select few before coming across this one.

Pandora's Box is always listed as one of the all-time greats of silent cinema, but it certainly comes at a cost (I bought the out-of-print Criterion Collection edition from Amazon for over $90. Now the price is over $120 at the time of this review.

I have no regrets about what I paid for it). The story follows a beautiful woman named Lulu whose beauty and actions send her along with others around her in a downward spiral resulting in death, running from the law, broken hearts, and then some as she inadvertently leaves a trail of destruction in her wake.

It's a film about desires, the reckless abandon of human nature, otherworldly beauty (Which Brooks certainly exuded) and how others seek to obtain it, morals, and even more. There's a lot to chew on in this superb drama (It also features the first know example of a lesbian character to boot) and it is certainly not only one of the great silent films, but also one of the great classics of the medium as a whole.

This is a rare, once in a lifetime sort of performance that lovers of cinema must see as Louise Brooks deserves to be hailed as one of the greatest actors of all time. Pandora's Box is a masterpiece of cinema that should not be missed.