“Fritz Lang’s Indian Epic (“The Tiger of Eschnapur” and “The Indian Tomb”)” (1959, Film Movement Classics) Strapping young German engineer Paul Hubschmid (a.k.a. Paul Christian) is invited to India to improve the infrastructure of the (fictitious) city of Eschnapur, but falls in love with Eurasian temple dancer Seetha (American actress Debra Paget), which puts him in the crosshairs of his jealous employer, Prince Chandra (played by Austrian actor Walther Reyer). Lavishly appointed and deliriously plotted two-part adventure made by pioneering German director Lang in the twilight of his storied career; though the liner notes by Tom Gunning in this two-disc Blu-ray make a case for the “Indian Epic” as part of the director’s explorations into the dangerous whims of fate (see “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt“), the two films are probably best enjoyed as rip-roaring, serial-styled exotica thrills (Lang’s penchant for elaborate subterranean lairs is in full effect with the array of secret passages and traps in “Indian Tomb”) that teeter on the border of camp, especially Ms. Paget’s over-the-top dance numbers and threats from a menagerie of stuffed jungle animals. Some viewers’ enjoyment, however, may be tempered by the abundance of white actors in brownface. Film Movement’s set includes a full 4k restoration of both films, expert commentary from historian David Kalat, a making-of doc that details the production’s history (“Epic” was a remake of a 1921 German film Lang wrote with wife Thea von Harbou) and a video essay on Paget. Continue reading
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