The year 1913 was pivotal for the emergence of feature-length films on both sides of the Atlantic. The major film producing nations released some of the most seminal works of the era. "The Student of Prague" in Germany and "David Copperfield" in Britain were, like "Atlantis", films based on established literature. France's Film d'Art studio continued to produce filmed plays such as the prior year's "Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth" (Queen Elizabeth). Sweden's premiere director Victor Sjöström made "Ingeborg Holm". Russian director Yevgeni Bauer completed "Sumerki zhenskoi dushi" (Twilight of a Woman's Soul). Italians began making the historical epics, such as "Quo Vadis?" and "The Last Days of Pompeii", which would be so popular and influential to America, including to D.W. Griffith. In America, "Traffic in Souls" was released, and Griffith was finishing "Judith of Bethulia".
"Atlantis" was one of the longest and most expensive epics to date; in this regard, only a very few Italian films from around the same time could compare. "Atlantis" contains some of the most interesting elements from any film before "The Birth of a Nation" that I've seen, but it also includes many problems associated with early films, some of which were peculiarly Danish. Among the good is the briskly edited and well photographed shipwreck sequence, which included the sinking of a real ship. For that alone, I recommend this film.
Additionally, there are some interesting scenes of contemporary Berlin and New York. They resemble the early actuality films of the Lumière brothers and other early filmmakers. Viewers may notice that some people gawk at the camera in these street scenes, demonstrating that they were not paid extras. Director August Blom and cinematographer Johan Ankerstjerne (the same man who would later photograph Benjamin Christensen's "Häxan" (1922)) create double exposure shots for dreams. In another scene, a cabin room shakes during the disaster. There are also some lovely sunset shots, and the Danish Film Institute reconstruction is very sharp, with some very good and appropriate reconstructed tinting and toning.
Now, this film also has its drawbacks, which are significant. Mostly, the narrative is extremely dull. Unfortunately, this appears to be a prevalent case with Danish films preceding those by Benjamin Christensen and Carl Theodor Dreyer. I don't just mean the story, either; the narrative structure is plodding and non-linear in that the plot often wanders into superfluous and uninteresting directions. Of the eight Danish films I've commented on from before 1913, almost all are of the sensational circus genre. Further research testifies that this was the predominant type of picture produced in Denmark at the time. "Atlantis", an autorenfilm (author's film), is a departure from these previous films in story and subject matter in most respects, except for the monkey and the armless man, both of which serve no narrative purpose. Moreover, there's the multiple women problem that typically besets the male protagonists (this film's lead abandons his institutionalized wife, chases after a dancer, is "cured" by another woman, and also has a fleeting moment with a Russian Jewess).
In addition to the film's narrative problems, there's the abominable performance by the miscast Ida Orlov as the dancer who the protagonist desires. Director Blom doesn't help matters, either, with the especially long, static and boring scenes of her lounging on the ship, with her pet monkey, and flanked by suitors. There's also the embarrassing stage dance. Blom often placed theatrical acts in his films, including to much better effect in the short film "Desdemona" (For Åbent Tæppe) (1912), as well as in "The Ballet Dancer" (Balletdanserinden) (1911). Some scenes, such as static long shots that last for extended lengths of time, are rather characteristic of the era and, thus, quite dated. Nevertheless, I consider "Atlantis" one of the best feature-length films made before 1915.
A final note to those curious in this film because of Titanic or the Atlantis civilization myth: "Atlantis" is an adaptation of Gerhart Hauptmann's novel of the same name, which was published a month or so before the Titanic disaster. Obviously, one can make plenty of comparisons between the fictional and historic events. Most of this film isn't about an ocean liner disaster, though. The title "Atlantis", in the film, refers to a very brief dream scene the protagonist has during the shipwreck, where he imagines he is in the lost city of Atlantis. Atlantis appears as a village above water, and double exposure photography is used to dreamlike effect.
"Atlantis" was one of the longest and most expensive epics to date; in this regard, only a very few Italian films from around the same time could compare. "Atlantis" contains some of the most interesting elements from any film before "The Birth of a Nation" that I've seen, but it also includes many problems associated with early films, some of which were peculiarly Danish. Among the good is the briskly edited and well photographed shipwreck sequence, which included the sinking of a real ship. For that alone, I recommend this film.
Additionally, there are some interesting scenes of contemporary Berlin and New York. They resemble the early actuality films of the Lumière brothers and other early filmmakers. Viewers may notice that some people gawk at the camera in these street scenes, demonstrating that they were not paid extras. Director August Blom and cinematographer Johan Ankerstjerne (the same man who would later photograph Benjamin Christensen's "Häxan" (1922)) create double exposure shots for dreams. In another scene, a cabin room shakes during the disaster. There are also some lovely sunset shots, and the Danish Film Institute reconstruction is very sharp, with some very good and appropriate reconstructed tinting and toning.
Now, this film also has its drawbacks, which are significant. Mostly, the narrative is extremely dull. Unfortunately, this appears to be a prevalent case with Danish films preceding those by Benjamin Christensen and Carl Theodor Dreyer. I don't just mean the story, either; the narrative structure is plodding and non-linear in that the plot often wanders into superfluous and uninteresting directions. Of the eight Danish films I've commented on from before 1913, almost all are of the sensational circus genre. Further research testifies that this was the predominant type of picture produced in Denmark at the time. "Atlantis", an autorenfilm (author's film), is a departure from these previous films in story and subject matter in most respects, except for the monkey and the armless man, both of which serve no narrative purpose. Moreover, there's the multiple women problem that typically besets the male protagonists (this film's lead abandons his institutionalized wife, chases after a dancer, is "cured" by another woman, and also has a fleeting moment with a Russian Jewess).
In addition to the film's narrative problems, there's the abominable performance by the miscast Ida Orlov as the dancer who the protagonist desires. Director Blom doesn't help matters, either, with the especially long, static and boring scenes of her lounging on the ship, with her pet monkey, and flanked by suitors. There's also the embarrassing stage dance. Blom often placed theatrical acts in his films, including to much better effect in the short film "Desdemona" (For Åbent Tæppe) (1912), as well as in "The Ballet Dancer" (Balletdanserinden) (1911). Some scenes, such as static long shots that last for extended lengths of time, are rather characteristic of the era and, thus, quite dated. Nevertheless, I consider "Atlantis" one of the best feature-length films made before 1915.
A final note to those curious in this film because of Titanic or the Atlantis civilization myth: "Atlantis" is an adaptation of Gerhart Hauptmann's novel of the same name, which was published a month or so before the Titanic disaster. Obviously, one can make plenty of comparisons between the fictional and historic events. Most of this film isn't about an ocean liner disaster, though. The title "Atlantis", in the film, refers to a very brief dream scene the protagonist has during the shipwreck, where he imagines he is in the lost city of Atlantis. Atlantis appears as a village above water, and double exposure photography is used to dreamlike effect.