Film Reviewshigh treason:Nov 20, 2015 Anchorage Press
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The more things change, the more they stay the same. Or so goes the saying, and it's also evidenced by the content of High Treason, a 1929 cinematic gem that's come full circle via Alaska. High Treason was directed by Maurice Elvey, with David Lean as assistant director. Lean would later be celebrated for directing Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago. There are multiple reasons why viewers shouldn't miss the upcoming showings of High Treason including its historical importance, merit as good film, and political and philosophical content.
High Treason was released in 1930 as both, a silent film, and a "talkie" or sound film, with synchronized sound coupled with images, which is what just about all films are today. In the '20s and '30s however, "talkies" were quite a phenomenon. Until recently, it was believed that the only existing prints of High Treason were the silent versions. Then, as luck would have it, in 2005, a private party in Washington State gave the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association (AMIPA) a collection of 35mm cellulose nitrate films, and among them was a lavender fine grain complete print of High Treason, and what was even more important is that this reel was marked as "synchronous sound" or, a "talkie." AMIPA now possessed a cinematic treasure thought to have been lost forever. Cellulous nitrate is one type of transparent substrate that supports medium for the photosensitive emulsion that lies atop it. In other words, it's one of three different types of film onto which moving images were recorded, cellulose acetate, and polyester are the others. Cellulous nitrate, however, is highly flammable, vulnerable and tends to deteriorates quickly under certain conditions. AMIPA shipped the entire collection to the Library of Congress to be held on deposit in its specialized nitrate vault. The Library of Congress, with funding from The Film Foundation, and in collaboration with the British Film Institute, restored AMIPA's copy of High Treason, including the sound.
High Treason was made just two years after Fritz Lang's magnum opus, Metropolis. There are aesthetic, cinematic, and science-fiction parallels between the two, and perhaps that is why there is a propensity on the part of some to bill High Treason as Britain's answer to the German Metropolis. But, apples and oranges ought not be compared simply because they're both fruit, both grow on trees, and maybe they were harvested the same time of year-apples and oranges are just not comparable, and neither are High Treason and Metropolis, especially in the fundamentals of storytelling and artistry. Metropolis is an artistic masterpiece that has influenced filmmakers and viewers even when the screening versions of it were incomplete and the story made no sense. It even inspired Apple's iconic 1984 commercial for the Macintosh. Metropolis' storyline wasn't restored until 2010 when a complete copy was found in Argentina that filled in the plot gaps and made the story actually make sense. Metropolis is grand and stunningly beautiful. High Treason is not-but, it tells a good story very well. High Treason is a forward thinking and imaginative film that delivers a complicated message, allowing the viewer to see clearly the details of plot and action and retain a connection to these as they fade into the rearview mirror. Like Jules Verne, Elvey imagines a new world in High Treason filled with technological advances that were just dreams then, such as television monitors through which people could see and speak with one another, devices in bathrooms to air dry one's body, and even an underwater tunnel for trains carrying passengers through the English Channel. At the time the film was made, the idea of a Tunnel Channel was largely still on the drawing board, as were planes that could cross the Atlantic before running out of fuel. High Treason imagined a new geography with its own complicated history and political relationships. The film also treats women and men equally, giving them equally important roles and voices. In some ways, the character and human dynamics are clearer and more accessible in High Treason than they are in Metropolis. High Treason is very successful in showing the impact of individual actions on the world, like the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world will have an impact in another part of the world. The film presents viewers with the same dynamics that are present today in world politics and the tyranny of a few, misguided leaders. High Treason addresses the politics of war and peace, interestingly, the film's reference is World War One, the war to end all wars, and much of the plot revolves about a potential new war within the new world order. The film asks questions about whether the means justify the ends, and about where the true nexus of change lies, with the state, leaders, or individuals. These questions were just as relevant in 1930 as they are today. The film illustrates how far humanity has come technologically, and how stunted its development of consciousness has remained.
High Treason shows during the Anchorage International Film Festival at Beartooth on Sunday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.
High Treason was released in 1930 as both, a silent film, and a "talkie" or sound film, with synchronized sound coupled with images, which is what just about all films are today. In the '20s and '30s however, "talkies" were quite a phenomenon. Until recently, it was believed that the only existing prints of High Treason were the silent versions. Then, as luck would have it, in 2005, a private party in Washington State gave the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association (AMIPA) a collection of 35mm cellulose nitrate films, and among them was a lavender fine grain complete print of High Treason, and what was even more important is that this reel was marked as "synchronous sound" or, a "talkie." AMIPA now possessed a cinematic treasure thought to have been lost forever. Cellulous nitrate is one type of transparent substrate that supports medium for the photosensitive emulsion that lies atop it. In other words, it's one of three different types of film onto which moving images were recorded, cellulose acetate, and polyester are the others. Cellulous nitrate, however, is highly flammable, vulnerable and tends to deteriorates quickly under certain conditions. AMIPA shipped the entire collection to the Library of Congress to be held on deposit in its specialized nitrate vault. The Library of Congress, with funding from The Film Foundation, and in collaboration with the British Film Institute, restored AMIPA's copy of High Treason, including the sound.
High Treason was made just two years after Fritz Lang's magnum opus, Metropolis. There are aesthetic, cinematic, and science-fiction parallels between the two, and perhaps that is why there is a propensity on the part of some to bill High Treason as Britain's answer to the German Metropolis. But, apples and oranges ought not be compared simply because they're both fruit, both grow on trees, and maybe they were harvested the same time of year-apples and oranges are just not comparable, and neither are High Treason and Metropolis, especially in the fundamentals of storytelling and artistry. Metropolis is an artistic masterpiece that has influenced filmmakers and viewers even when the screening versions of it were incomplete and the story made no sense. It even inspired Apple's iconic 1984 commercial for the Macintosh. Metropolis' storyline wasn't restored until 2010 when a complete copy was found in Argentina that filled in the plot gaps and made the story actually make sense. Metropolis is grand and stunningly beautiful. High Treason is not-but, it tells a good story very well. High Treason is a forward thinking and imaginative film that delivers a complicated message, allowing the viewer to see clearly the details of plot and action and retain a connection to these as they fade into the rearview mirror. Like Jules Verne, Elvey imagines a new world in High Treason filled with technological advances that were just dreams then, such as television monitors through which people could see and speak with one another, devices in bathrooms to air dry one's body, and even an underwater tunnel for trains carrying passengers through the English Channel. At the time the film was made, the idea of a Tunnel Channel was largely still on the drawing board, as were planes that could cross the Atlantic before running out of fuel. High Treason imagined a new geography with its own complicated history and political relationships. The film also treats women and men equally, giving them equally important roles and voices. In some ways, the character and human dynamics are clearer and more accessible in High Treason than they are in Metropolis. High Treason is very successful in showing the impact of individual actions on the world, like the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world will have an impact in another part of the world. The film presents viewers with the same dynamics that are present today in world politics and the tyranny of a few, misguided leaders. High Treason addresses the politics of war and peace, interestingly, the film's reference is World War One, the war to end all wars, and much of the plot revolves about a potential new war within the new world order. The film asks questions about whether the means justify the ends, and about where the true nexus of change lies, with the state, leaders, or individuals. These questions were just as relevant in 1930 as they are today. The film illustrates how far humanity has come technologically, and how stunted its development of consciousness has remained.
High Treason shows during the Anchorage International Film Festival at Beartooth on Sunday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.