"Alexander Den Store" (1917) By Mauritz Stiller
Ferdinand Von Galitzien
eccentric cooks of long ago who made generous meals that have nothing
in common with the extravagant restaurateurs of nowadays and their
meagre menus. The manager is named after Alexander the Great and in
his restaurant the town bourgeoisie meet and discuss various issues,
especially matters of the heart. Morals are part of the conversations
and prove to be complicated issues even for strict and serious
Nordics.
“Alexander Den Store” (1917) is another funny early Herr Stiller
comedy of intrigues in which the skilfulness of the Finnish director
in managing different stories featuring peculiar characters is shown
at its best.
The miscellaneous eccentrics are very well delineated in a grotesque
way perfectly in accordance with a story full of dubious behaviour and
questionable morals. It’s low comedy full of sarcasm but still very
proper. This Herr von suspects that some of Herr Lubitsch’s early
comedies could have been influenced by this film, especially with its
gallery of odd characters.
The film uses the elaborate and technically very modern film
narratives so well-known in Herr Stiller’s elegant comedies ( parallel
stories, different characters who finally are directed toward the same
final objective ) . Surely even the new longhaired generation would
find much that is remarkable and valid in this film, even though it
was produced in the mid tens.
“Alexander Den Store” is a good example of Herr Stiller’s
professionalism and artistic efficacy and while it is characteristic
of Herr Stiller’s early comedies it is probably more cynical and bold
( the Nordic censors with no sense of humour, a characteristic that
is common with any censor, considered some scenes inappropriate and
later had them removed).
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because
this German Count is famished; perhaps a fat Teutonic heiress would be
satisfying.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien
http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/