No, the plot of The Love of Jeanne Ney doesn't bear scrutiny, but that only frees you to scrutinize G.W. Pabst's images instead. The director planned every shot with great particularity, composing the film on the principle of constant motion--of the actors and the action, but also the camera, which nervously seeks out visible clues to the characters' inner states (a previous Pabst film had been titled Secrets of a Soul). Pabst was fundamentally a realist, unlike his rivals Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau; consequently, his movies don't look nearly as "Germanic" as theirs--and except for his legendary collaborations with Louise Brooks, Pandora's Box (1929) and Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), they haven't been seen much. Jeanne Ney marks a good opportunity to start reversing this neglect. --Richard T. Jameson

Now if they would only release Pabst's other masterpieces

on DVD (Pandora's Box, Diary of a Lost Girl)!!


A beautiful and stylish German silent film   August 31, 2006
While not one of German director G.W. Pabst's most famous silent films today, "The Love of Jeanne Ney" might well be one of his finest in many respects such as cinematic styles and characters, and the excellent picture quality on this DVD, together with a fitting orchestral score, enhance this film even more. It is essentially a beautiful love story set in a tumultuous time; first in Russia after the Revolution where French girl, Jeanne Ney, is caught up in the Bolshevik take-over, and then in Paris where her uncle is murdered and her lover framed for the crime. The story is interesting and often unpredictable, but I was even more impressed by the characters and the way Pabst brought out the best in them, often with some evocative and poignant scenes. Although Jeanne is the key figure, it is in fact the villain who steals the show, in my opinion, and who better than Fritz Rasp to play the part, with his exquisite talent for depicting the most despicable characters, and with a face you just want to slap. (He effectively played a similar despised character in a later G.W. Pabst film, "Diary of a Lost Girl" starring Louise Brooks) Another impressive role is by Brigitte Helm, who played Maria in the famous silent classic, "Metropolis", and in this film quite brilliantly portrays Jeanne's blind cousin who falls prey to the villainous Fritz Rasp character. There are quite a few stark and memorable scenes in this film, thanks to Pabst's discerning eye and sense for subtle yet effective and sophisticated drama, making "The Love of Jeanne Ney" a particularly satisfying viewing experience.



Excellent Pabst   July 14, 2007
First, the important stuff..
sound and image are very good, although the restoration could have been better.
Still, a most satisfying visual and audio experience. I will enjoy watching this movie once a year along with other Pabst movies. I found the pace of the narrative most brisk and it nicely carries you along through the quality sets and visuals. I especially enjoyed the quick, succinct, and suspenseful, train compartment conclusion. I highly recommend this for the libary of all those who enjoy classic silent cinema that has very good visual and audio quality.