More than just a gay-themed silent film!
Barbara (Burkowsky) Underwood | Manly, NSW Australia | 12/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Although this excellent film is billed as one of the 'gay-themed films of the German Silent Era', I actually got quite a lot more out of it, namely the issue of prisoners' emotional welfare and the effects of incarceration on both prisoners and their partners. The second part of the original German title reads: "the sexual plight of prisoners" ("Die Sexualnot der Gefangenen") and it is based on research and writing done on the subject under the heading "Eroticism in prison". The storyline emphasizes the point several times throughout that prison should not be mere punishment but rather a rehabilitation so that the released prisoner can continue leading a normal life. In fact, the lead character in this film is an advocate of prison reform, focussing on the emotional/sexual needs of prisoners. This alone made the content and message of the film very interesting and important to me, but the lonely wife of the prisoner is not forgotten: she has the same problems and also succumbs, leading both of them to emotional ruin. Emotions run high and are captured very expressively with the camera, which I also found a highlight of this film. The story and the way it is presented cinematically (with barely a hint at anything sexual) draws the viewer into the emotional viewpoints of the various characters involved, and also gets you thinking about the plight of prisoners, then and now. An excellent film with an important theme well worth viewing."