The Doll plus Lubitsch In Berlin
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Produced in Berlin in 1919, Ernst Lubitsch's THE DOLL (Die Puppe) is a charming romantic fantasy that shows the director already in full command of the now-legendary "Lubitsch touch."
Presaging such playful sex comedies as Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise and Design for Living, THE DOLL follows the misadventures of an effete young man who must get married in order to inherit a fortune. He opts to purchase a remarkably lifelike doll and marry it instead, not realizing that the doll is actually the puppet-maker's flesh-and-blood daughter, in disguise.
Featuring interviews with daughter Nicola Lubitsch, film historians Enno Patalas and Jan-Christopher Horak and filmmaker Tom Tykwer (among others), ERNST LUBITSCH IN BERLIN documents the life of the legendary filmmaker from his birth in 1892 to his departure for Hollywood in 1923. The feature-length documentary is sprinkled with excerpts from Lubitsch's rarely-seen early work (both as actor and director) and offers fascinating insights into the German film industry in the silent era.
Reviews
"A great film that clearly shows Ernst Lubitsch's talent, The Doll is still as funny today as it was nearly 90 years ago. The documentary that's included with this disc is a nice bonus and while it does drag in parts, it has a lot of information about the famous director. One of the strongest entries in the Lubitsch in Berlin series, this disc is highly recommended."