Flesh and the Devil (1926)
Flesh and the Devil (1926)
(Clarence Brown, US 1926, 112 min., 35mm)
Director Clarence Brown’s first film with Greta Garbo, Flesh and the Devil, is considered one of the great silent romances. Two childhood friends, Leo (John Gilbert) and Ulrich (Lars Hanson), grow up to be soldiers in Germany. Leo becomes infatuated with Felicitas (Greta Garbo), the wife of a powerful count, but Felicitas neglects to inform Leo of her marriage. The count learns of the infatuation and calls for a duel of honor with Leo but insists on the false pretense that the quarrel was due to angry words exchanged at a card game. Leo wins the duel but is punished by the military and sent to live in Africa for five years. When Leo returns, he must assimilate back into society with a ruined reputation and must also rekindle his relationships with Felicitas and Ulrich, which turns out to be more difficult than he thought.
Live piano accompaniment by Dr. Philip C. Carli.