The Woman Always Pays (1910) User Reviews

Ethereal and erotic

[F Gwynplaine MacIntyre · 7/10 · 2 June 2005]

Asta Nielsen was an ethereally beautiful silent-film actress who made only one sound film, then went into a long Garbo-like retirement. There are some strong parallels between Nielsen and Garbo, including some roles they both played (notably Mata Hari). It's intriguing that Nielsen and Sarah Bernhardt both played the (male) title role in 'Hamlet'. Bernhardt played the role as a man when she was too old to play Ophelia; whilst Nielsen (astonishingly beautiful in male costume) played the role as a young woman who had been raised as a male. Most of Nielsen's career was in German films; 'Afgrunden' is one of only four films she made in her native Denmark.

I viewed a print of 'Afgrunden' that was digitally restored by the Danish Film Institute but had many individual frames missing, resulting in bizarre jump cuts when characters who were about to step out of frame simply vanished. There is one intentional jump cut when Asta Nielsen flings a lasso at Poul Reumert: the jump cut enables the noose to encircle his neck even though Nielsen missed.

Nielsen plays Magda Varig (not Vang), a mousy piano-teacher who is engaged to a respectable businessman, until she visits Cirkus Fortuna and is intrigued by a macho performer whose handbill identifies him as Mr Rudolph (Reumert). Magda kicks off her past life and joins the circus. From there, it's a maelstrom of depravity.

The very beautiful Nielsen is tightly corseted throughout this film, except for one astonishing scene in which she ties up Reumert with his own lasso, then she performs a deeply erotic dance all round him, shaking and shimmying her very definitely corset-free midriff. This scene was cut out of British and American prints of the film. However, Nielsen's dance consists largely of rubbing her buttocks against Reumert, rather than her front-side; perhaps in 1910 even the Danish weren't ready for THAT degree of eroticism! In an earlier scene, Nielsen is wearing corset-stays and all the usual female garments of 1910 (floor-length skirt, petticoats, the lot) when Reumert hauls her aboard his horse and gallops away: it occurred to me that this must have been a very uncomfortable situation for a woman in all those clothes.

There are some beautiful exterior shots here, and one splendid sequence aboard a double-decker tram in Copenhagen. A postman and a vicar wear (respectively) a uniform and vestments which are so elaborate that modern audiences might laugh. More fatally, all through 'Afgrunden' the entire cast (including Nielsen) overact with hand-to-brow theatrics. One character is stabbed in the chest; instead of just dying, he has to do a melodramatic "I'm dying!" gesture and THEN die.

SPOILERS COMING. This is one of those misogynist films which assert that nothing is more dangerous than a woman's sexuality. Having discovered her sensual side, the former piano-teacher Magda is now poison for every man she meets. The film ends with Magda going to prison, presumably to remain there until she's no longer a danger to society (i.e., when she's menopausal).

I viewed a DFI print with Danish titles, at a screening in London. Unfortunately, the very last title card in the print reads "SLUT" ... which is Danish for "Finish" (or maybe Finnish for "Danish"), but which the London audience (probably knowing better) chose to misinterpret, and to receive with mocking laughter. A shame, really: Nielsen's role here anticipates the 'vampire' roles of Theda Bara and Pola Negri, so I wish that 'Afgrunden' could have celebrated female sexuality more honestly and positively. My rating: 7 out of 10.

Who's that girl...?!

[turbo_torben · 6/10 · 13 June 2004]

"Afgrunden" is a clearly primitive movie. It isn't stylistic revolutionary, and doesn't invent any new way to tell a story. However.... Though "Afgrunden" is from 1910 there is one scene I just can't seem to forget. It sticks to me in some strange way. The famous dancing scene with Asta Nielsen clearly has a sexual context. Even compared to modern films tendency to make sexual contents seem as dirty as possible, "Afgrunden" represents the same standard with a lot more modest use of effects and 'moves'. Try to see it, just for that one scene.

Damen Nielsen Erotic Dance Scene

[FerdinandVonGalitzien · 5/10 · 23 March 2007]

Magda meets her fiancé, Knud, in a casual way during a tram trip, at that same moment both fall madly in love with each other; few days later, Knud invite Magda to spend a thrilling weekend at a vicarage, where his father works.

Meanwhile Magda are spending so particular weekend with her fiancé, comes to town a circus; Magda will fall in love with a cowboy who performs at the circus, exchanging at once the bored fiancé for the hefty cowboy and running away both without thinking very much this new situation.

The relationship between Magda and her cowboy it will begin to be very problematic, tormented, and full of suspicions, jealousies and humiliations suffered by Magda by her cowboy and despite that the bored fiancé appeared from time to time in her live trying to put an end to such wild passionate abyss, those efforts will be finally in vane.

"Afgrunden" it's a film directed by the great Danish and unfortunately not well known director, Urban Gad and starred by Asta Nielsen, actress whom Herr Gad discovered and married.

Despite the film it's sometimes a simple and exaggerated melodrama, Herr Gad endow always their films with a stunning modernity as in style as in content, being able to diminish those typical deficiencies of the film, in the other hand, standard for an early 1910 film production, not mentioning Damen Nielsen good presence and versatility (it is necessary to emphasize the Damen Nielsen erotic dance scene, in this way you'll see how modern and alluring your grandmothers were ), two reasons, the Herr Gad film direction and Damen Nielsen performance, enough to watch this early Danish film.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because when this Teutonic Count heard about storm relationships, remembered that he must to talk something about it with some of their German fat heiresses.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

A "provocative" movie...

[heliosmagica · 18 September 2003]

Interesting film, though it does seem too long at some points. The film however do contain especially one interesting scene. Magda, the young girl whom the story revolves around, is performing on stage, with her love, a circus artist. On stage she ties him up with rope, and slowly starts to dance around him. But it ain't polka she's dancing! She rubs against his body, feeling him up, while she slowly moves around him. Now this of course doesn't sound very provocative today, but at that time it made the mountains move! In fact, it was so provocative at the time that it was forbidden for young men to see. Of course not any young man... only to the young men from the working classes (we all know who easy "they" /working class men/ are influenced! One simply couldn't afford to poison a young workers mind!)

Not Sure Who the Bad Guy/Gal is In This One

[PCC0921 · 6/10 · 3 January 2021]

I'm still trying to figure out what the woman is paying for. It's obviously a metaphor for her life going off-kilter in a way that doesn't always happen to the average everyday person. Her bouncing from her husband to an untrustworthy circus performer is totally destructive. Throwing away her life to be treated horribly by that same individual, was mostly brought on by her own carelessness and at the climax of the movie, that same carelessness and immaturity leads to the death of someone. So, I was trying to figure out what was so bad about her life, other than she being the one who screwed it up. This is what romantic dramas usually have an issue with, weather it is 1910 or 2010. Is the message that is supposed to be conveyed being lost amongst a smattering of skits and scenes that muddy the goal in mind. I felt this way with this movie. Why are we worried about her destructive end when she created most of it? A change in the title might help things with this one. The original title, The Abyss, is a much better title. It's all worth going through, because Magda has a seductive dance number that really is ahead of its time and is the most jolting part of the film. It's worth that.

6.0 (D MyGrade) = 6 IMDB

Exceptional film

[fred3f · 8/10 · 12 August 2006]

Spoilers ahead. The story is a complex one. Another writer here as outlined it well, so instead, I will examine the character development. A young piano teacher (Magda played by Asta Nielsen) falls in love with a Vicar's son but leaves him suddenly during their courtship for a circus performer, apparently because she is awakened to passion. This is cleverly shown by the director and Ms. Nielsen changing the style and pace of the film to contrast the quiet and peaceful courtship between the Vicar's son and Magda with her sudden passion she encounters when she visits the circus and meets Rudolf, the cowboy performer. It is as if the passionate side of her nature is suddenly awakened and beyond her control. This lack of control proves her undoing. Her cowboy is a philanderer, and she cannot deal with it. She goes through despair, self loathing, insane jealously, unbridled eroticism and murderous rage. Because of these fits of passion, Magda and Rudolf eventually lose their position at the circus. They go about earning money any way they can, even sinking into prostitution. Through all this she continually compares herself to the girl she once was and does not like what she sees. We sense that old self still lingering inside her and the internal struggles that go on are evident. Each time, however, she always succumbs to her obsession, until she eventually is taken away by the police for killing her lover.

Far from being above it all, the Vicar's son is also obsessed. When Magda ran away, she left a note for him, telling him to forget about her. She knew she was lost and did not want to drag him down. But instead of taking up with a different, and more appropriate girl, he goes searching for Magda. He finds her several times and these encounters act as a reminder to Magda of her old self and act to increase the the son's own feelings of obsessive love and loss that become the defining emotions of his life. The last time he finds her there is also a hint that his obsession is taking on an erotic aspect. He arranges to see her through the innkeeper in a private room, just as a "John" would arrange to meet a prostitute. Although he makes no moves on her, it may have been because of Magda,s own horror at seeing him in such a situation. Why did he choose that particular way to meet her? Money was exchanged as well. The situation is ambiguous to say the least. In the end, when she is taken away by the police, he is left in utter despair.

If you see this film, it is important to see the restored print by the Danish Film Institute and can be found on DVD with English subs from Denmark. It is the best print, and is the one that other reviewers here have praised. Other prints are unclear and incomplete, which can give you some very odd ideas about the film. One person here, for example, having seen an incomplete print said the film was misogynistic. This is not true. Magda is not a femme fatal, a vamp, or any other artificial Hollywood construct. She is a very real woman who's passions are self destructive. She actually tries to prevent the Vicar's son from getting involved in her sordid life. But he had his own obsession and although it is quieter, it is just as destructive and just as deep.

The acting in the film is very much ahead of its time. At a time when even Griffith was still using a stage style of acting, the players in this film act in a natural style. Griffith wouldn't get this working until 1912 and you wouldn't see it in Hollywood commonly until 1920 (ten years later). The story is told and the character development conveyed with an economy that is amazing even today. Much is done with the faces of the actors but the director is also skilled in showing just the right moment that will tell you so many things. This much plot and character depth in a 37 minute film make it unparalleled in my experience.

The restoration is very good in most respects. The film is very clear and easy to see at all times. However, in a few spots the source materials show a great deal of nitrate disintegration which is briefly distracting. While there are brilliant moments in quickly conveying the plot and emotions of the characters, there are other moments which seem more like the filming of a stage play. But this is 1910, after all. These drawbacks, are easily overshadowed by the intensity of the acting (particulary from Nielsen) and the pace of the story that sweeps you along in a passion of its own.

Danish Silent Film

[Cineanalyst · 4/10 · 11 May 2006]

This film, "The Abyss", was, reportedly, very popular--sort of inaugurating an important, although often overlooked, period in film history--that of Danish sensational melodramas, which was at its height during the early 1910s. What I consider the best qualities of this era and genre are not really evident in this particular picture: that is, interesting lighting effects, use of mirrors as a self-referential device and impressive mise-en-scène. In "The Abyss", the framing is standard and extremely dated. There's one shot of an approaching train arriving at a station, a la the Lumière brothers' short, which I like to note only because there seem to be many such shots resembling those first films scattered throughout the early silent film era.

What "The Abyss" does have is sensationalism. The sex, including the dance, is part of this, as is "the bad woman" played by Asta Nielsen. And, as with most other such films I've seen, a circus must be involved. Alfred Lind, listed as the cinematographer of this picture, helped further create the sensational circus film genre with "The Flying Circus" (Den Flyvende cirkus) (1912). Moreover, the plotting in these types of films is nearly identical.

Besides being a notably early entry in sensational Danish circus melodramas, "The Abyss" also continues to receive some recognition for launching the screen career of Nielsen, who was an exceptionally popular international star, especially among German audiences. Her acting seems, compared to contemporaries, rather restrained, I suppose-- thankfully forgoing much of the usual theatrics. Overall, "The Abyss" might be worth seeing if you're interested in Nielsen or early Danish cinema.

(Note: Even in the restored Danish Film Institute print, there is considerable deterioration in some scenes.)

First films of the first European superstar

[MartSander · 10/10 · 16 February 2007]

All four films made by Asta Nielsen in Denmark (in 1910, 1911 and 1919) , before she became an international superstar, have been released by the Danish Film Institute, which was created a hundred years ago and has taken care of Danish films ever since. Thus we usually get very good, clean and sharp copies of films almost 100 years old. The series is truly amazing, and the Asta Nielsen disk is one of the best. The four features (on one disk) are: Livets storme, Afrgrunden, Den sorte drøm, and Mod Lyset. I had only seen Asta Nielsen's later films, such as Hamlet, before, therefore I was astounded to see that she was a rather beautiful actress in her youth, with a figure of a Barbie doll which she isn't afraid to show. The films are remarkably good as well. In Afgrunden, we see Miss Nielsen as a shy piano teacher who abandons her fiancée in order to elope with a circus artist, who turns her into a harlot and a murderess; in Livets storme she is a dancer whose beauty brings along the ruin of her and of men; in Den sorte drom she is a circus star who does everything for the man she loves, and in Mod Lyset a reckless countess who has to destroy the lives of several men as well as her own before she learns the true values of life. The last tale is a bit moralizing for modern tastes, but the first three (from 1910-1911) are true gems. These films are naturalistic, strong portraits of life before the WW I. Miss Nielsen is a very good actress indeed, as well as a gorgeous clothes horse, wearing the trendiest models of the day around her nonexistent waist. The prints are very sharp, even though the first film shows some decomposition. They should have been released colour tinted and with somewhat more interesting musical accompaniment than the constantly meditating piano, but who cares? These films still were eye openers. When you thought the film wasn't a true art form back in 1910, think again: moving camera, panning camera, closeups, parallel editing, fluent narrative – it's all there, and years before these techniques became accepted in UK, US or Italy.

Very little apart from Nielsen

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 18 October 2017]

"Afgrunden" or "The Woman Always Pays" or "The Abyss" is a Danish silent short film from 1910, so this one is not only over a century old, but already closer to the 110-year mark than the 100-year mark as this one is even from before World War I. And this is not only a very long film for its time at 37 minutes, but also from a country that one does not necessarily think of when talking about early European silent film. So unless you are fluent in Danish, make sure you get a good set of subtitles. Then again, the intertitles here really were a big problem like with so many other silent films too. Two words every couple minutes are just not enough in understanding a relatively complicated story. The director here is Urban Gad and it is a really early career effort from him as well as lead actress Asta Nielsen. Both went on to have very prolific careers afterward and also got married to each other a couple years later. As for their collaboration here, I sadly cannot say this was a success. Nielsen's aura alone is not sufficient to carry all the mediocrity and obscurity about several characters that add absolutely nothing to the story. Maybe I am a bit biased as I am not the greatest silent film fan, but this was pretty underwhelming. Don't watch.

Sexual obsession maturely, eloquently told

[jenny-228 · 10/10 · 20 August 2005]

Saw beautifully restored version as part of UCLA's 2005 International Film Preservation series.

Correction to Frank's excellent synopsis: Mr. Rudolph breaks into room, throws out Magda's former fiancé, then turns on her. He appears quite violent, so Magda grabs a huge carving knife from the table and stabs him in the chest. That is why he drops dead. She throws her distraught body over him, clasping tightly. People enter the room and try to remove her from her dead lover. Even in death, she won't let go, until a policeman enters and walks her down the stairs, leaving her abandoned fiancé alone, again.

You have to see her dance to believe it! We saw a stunning print, and I can't imagine anyone who saw her erotic, sensual dance will forget it. Quite a revelation that such a mature, realistic portrayal of sexual obsession was filmed in 1910, with minimal inter-titles and the amazing presence of Asta. You can see the painted scrims/walls move as the crowd tries to get into the room while Magda and Rudolph fight. UCLA notes indicate "sets constructed in a prison yard." Many outdoor shots, with a feeling of one take and let's move on, giving the audience a true sense of what life looked like then. Absolutely no lighting, no spots, no close-ups, yet Asta's natural radiance lit up her face, with rather naturalistic body movement for that time.

I agree she and Garbo were alike because they radiated unusual charisma and naked sensuality yet fully clothed. Her thick, curly dark hair and massive dark eye makeup heightened her intensity. I don't know why we don't read about her like we do Louise Brooks in "Pandora's Box" or "Diary of a Lost Girl." Probably because this is such a rare film. It was on loan from the Danish Film Institute and I can only pray they release it on DVD soon. I wonder when or if we shall ever see any more of her films.

Worth a watch if you are into Asta Nielsen

[Reichswasserleiche · 7 April 2009]

I was really excited to see one of Asta Nielsen's first films, and at that, it was my first Danish silent! Was I disappointed? Not really. It was worth a watch, but I have to say that the film was nothing special. I'm not sure if I've actually watched a film created earlier than this one or around this time, so it is hard for me to put this film in perspective in relation to what was going on at the time in Denmark and in cinema. Maybe some cinematic techniques were new, but I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't any. There were many long shots (typical of older films) and I couldn't find anything that was innovative. On top of that, it was Urban Gad's first film, thus as an "amateur", I wouldn't/don't expect much.

The acting was incredibly realistic and the only time over-acting was seen was when Rudolf dies. Nielsen is known for her subtle acting, such as a look telling it all, and I can definitely see the beginnings of this in Afgrunden; when she does the sensual dance; that look on her face is more erotic than her gyrating hips. While on the topic of the "famous" sensual/erotic dance, what I noticed to be a bit odd was that the audience is on the right of the frame, yet it seems as if both the actors acknowledge the camera as if it was the audience and not the people who are not seen on the right.

I see this film as a tale of a simple woman who has her emotions unleashed, which leads her to her ruin. Although the film starts all happy with Knud and Magda, with the intertitle to fit them "Young hearts", everything seems all lovey-dovey and nice. But at the same time, the intertitle is like a foreshadow, implying (this is COMPLETELY my interpretation by the way so I'm not getting this from any scholarly material so take it with a grain of salt) that the relationship is like the one of young people: fleeting. The intertitle can mean that the scene is of two young people meeting and falling in love, but as the rest of the film shows, Magda's love for Knud pretty much ends. Magda cannot exactly be called a rational woman, but she was probably a normal woman of the times, but she is also easily excited, as the viewer can see with her reaction to the invitation to her fiancé's home. At the fiancé's home, I saw it as a way for the viewer to see how mismatched the couple was. Magda wants to read but her fiancé wants to go for a walk; Magda wants to go to the circus and Knud goes unwillingly; Magda is interested in the circus dance and Knud is a tad disapproving of it. It already sets up for what is to happen and Rudolf sweeps her off her feet when he comes in through her window. Knud is the complete opposite of Rudolf: he is steadfast and is a "moral" person. In the beginning of the film, Magda is seen only wearing corseted dresses, and although she is seen wearing corseted dresses later on as well, Magda's emotions are completely released when she does her sensual dance and her non-corseted dress reflects this. She is letting go of everything and in that very scene, she also unleashes her emotions when she lashes out at the other female performer. Perhaps this can mean that a woman's sensuality and emotions leads to a decline in character, a moral downfall, but while this is what the viewer may first think, it is also important to remember that Rudolf is a philanderer. I would be jealous and angry too if I saw my lover flirting with every other woman. In the end, Magda kills Rudolf and although this might add to the whole "SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A WOMAN IS NOT RIGHTEOUS!" argument, it was completely out of self-defense, and I hope that contemporary audience sided with Magda. She doesn't deserve to get arrested at all, but she is taken away by the police. Knud is uneasy by what has happened and walks in and out of the room and out of the building. I interpreted his action of walking out of the room as him realizing that he could never have Magda. In the last shot, he looks at Magda and tries to reach out to her, but she is in a trance-like state and does not acknowledge him and with glazed eyes, she is led away from the building by the police. This final scene reaffirms his severed ties with Magda as she does not even look at him and perhaps he realizes that their relationship is over since he only reaches out, but never directly approaches her.

So what is this film trying to say? Well, I don't know. Is it a moral story? Maybe. Is it a tragic love story? Maybe. I'm not sure about the "message" of the film, but all I can do is speculate about what the scenes mean. For now, I see it as a story of a woman who goes with her passions that leads to her "downfall" (financially and emotionally). I would rather prefer not to attach any moral judgment on Magda, because is it a sin to run away with a man? To be angry at him for being a flirt? I don't think so. I don't see Magda as a bad person and is more upset with her staying with Rudolf.

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Asta Nielsen's Debut Is A Stunner--The Movie, It's Just OK

[springfieldrental · 5/10 · 27 February 2021]

One doesn't think Swedes as prudes. But when the Danish film "The Abyss," was released in September 1910, the movie in which future star Asta Nielsen made her debut, Sweden and Norway both censored it. The otherwise tragic story of a settled wife who ends up leaving her husband for an exciting circus performer, was spiced up with a three-minute "gaucho dance" number that had the censors' eyeballs popping. The twerking dance seduction scene Asta performs with her boyfriend on the stage caused even the United States' censors cutting taking the scissors to it before they allowed the movie to be released.

Nielsen became a huge star, largely in Germany, soon after "The Abyss" was released. She introduced a more subtle, naturalistic style of acting as opposed to the more common theatrical over-acting in films. "The Abyss" set the stage for her on-screen persona of the strong woman with an independent streak who would eventually, because of her own actions, found herself trapped in tragic circumstances. Her films were especially popular in Germany, where Asta eventually moved. Signing on to a huge film contract in that country, she became cinema's first international movie star. Her movies were shown throughout the world, that is if the censors approved of them, which in numerous instances they didn't because of crossing the immoral line.

Asta's career came to a screeching halt during the transition of movies from silent to talkies. Adolf Hitler, in 1936, invited her to have tea with him to convince her to make propaganda films for the regime. After the meeting Nielsen promptly left Germany to return to her native Denmark. By then, she had enough money to live a robust, comfortable life. Asta lived to be 90, passing away in 1972.

Asta Nielsen becomes an international star!

[mcongedi · 10/10 · 14 May 2020]

In my opinion there are movies before "Afgrunden", then there are movies after "Afgrunden".

Up to 1909, movies were mostly trick films, with limited story-telling and exaggerated film acting. Then came "Afgrunden". Not only is the theme more mature than earlier films, it is also beautifully shot (a quality evident in much of Nordic cinema) and then there is the extraordinary performance of Asta Nielsen who became an instant house-hold name (my ex-wife's grand-mother, born in Australia in 1913 was named after her!) The quality of cinema rapidly improved from 1910 onwards and "Afgrunden" was the turning point.

Asta Nielsen graced and livened many films over the remaining Silent Period (working mostly in Germany) and her natural, believable performances raised the bar in film acting by several notches. She became the new standard!

Director Urban Gad is not as well known as he should be but this film and "The Black Dream", made the following year, indicate he should be re-evaluated.

The story is sensational and ends very dramatically

[deickemeyer · 29 October 2016]

A big, two-reel feature picture, naturally acted, with Miss Asta Nielson in the leading role. She is well supported by a large cast. The story is perfectly clear and smooth, demanding no strain on the spectator's attention. It is extremely well photographed, and shows most delightful backgrounds, glimpses of street life in Copenhagen, and glimpses of a village street, with an old church tower, in rural Denmark; also other scenes, among them a wayside beer garden under a grove of pines. The story is sensational and ends very dramatically in a tense climax. It deals with passion in a clean handed, honest way. It opens with a meeting of a young man and woman, shows a glimpse of the courtship and carries us on through a married life without love, to the coming of the man, a circus performer, who excites passion in the wife. The rest of the picture shows a good deal of her sensational experiences with this man. Twice her husband tries in vain to recall her. Their last meeting comes by chance in the piney beer garden and results in a sensational struggle, in which the woman kills her paramour and is led away by the police. - The Moving Picture World, April 27, 1912