Wednesday 23 February 2022

Asta invests... The Queen of the Stock Exchange (1918)/The Guinea Pig (1913) with Costas Fotopoulos, BFI Asta Nielsen Season



An intellectual of great refinement… the quintessence, the epitome of her era… Lotte Eisner in The Haunted Screen

 

Another dramatic change of look for Asta in The Queen of the Stock Exchange, Nielsen plays Helene Netzler and has two kiss curls framing her face making her almost unrecognisable from the two other characters she’d played tonight at the BFI. That’s not all though as Helene runs a mining business and is clearly at home in the very male world of both mining and the stock exchange. This is a fascinating character and I wonder how this would have seemed to a European audience at the time who had grown more used to women at work during the Great War. It’s a nod back to her character in Die Suffragette (1913), a proto feminist who may or may not be happy settling down to have babies.

 

Here Asta has achieved the parity once dreamt of and she is in charge of almost every aspect of her life. Directed and written by Edmund Edel, it’s clear that Asta called the shots in terms of the films she wanted to make, even before the establishment of her own production company in 1920. Helene’s company is running out of coal though and she’s in trouble until one of her engineers, Lindholm (Aruth Wartan) spots a new seam that might just save them.

 

Asta in Man's World


The initial investigation is encouraging and so Helene plays the market and buys up most of her own stock at rock bottom prices in order to make a killing when the news is confirmed. Whilst providing comment on the capitalist greed that would become an increasing issue in Europe, this shows a woman being a ruthless as men and Asta is imperious. She even promises Lindholm co-ownership if the seam is as valuable as he thinks and there’s a clear sexual frisson there as well… the thrill of the power.

 

Things work out and Lindholm is promoted but not everything in Helene’s life can be controlled… she has employed her poor cousin Lina as a domestic and the young woman catches Lindholm’s eye. As the two are drawn together Helene’s jealousy knows no bounds and she engineers the most awful revenge even after Lina has left.

 

What use are my riches if the one who was dearest to me is dead?


Asta with the workers

This is the most overtly political of the films shown so far and it’s interesting that this one dates from May 1918, the tide was turning and anti-capitalist sentiment was on the up as Russia revolted and the cost of war became ever clearer. The film’s conclusion, as Helene’s grief is played out amongst scenes of dozens of mine workers running to assist after an accident at the mine, is very powerful and she ends up deciding that her workers deserve full recompense for risking their lives in her business.

 

A different side to Asta…

 

From socialism to sublime silliness and proof that Asta could goof about with the best of them. The Guinea Pig (Das Versuchskaninchen) isn’t as funny or as polished as Der Eskimo Baby but Asta does a good job with a very odd story which includes some cringe-worthy references to mental health – a century being a long time in psychiatry.

 

Directed again by Edmund Edel, the film finds Asta who was 32, playing a teenager called Jesta who is low on attention span and high on energy constantly frustrating her father (Alfred Kuehne) and coming between him and his fiancée. Amazingly, Jesta has a love of her own, played by Fred Immler who seems normal enough but clearly likes her sense of humour.

 

Asta menaces her future step mother...

Tiring of been worn down by his daughter’s constant comedy, Dad decides to send her off to a strict school but, due to various mishaps, she ends up at a lunatic asylum where the doctor quickly diagnoses insanity and proceeds to try and treat her using the modern of methods including electric shock treatment and a padded cell. It’s largely not funny anymore but still interesting to see Asta playing in a weird kind of Mary Pickford role.

 

Her fiancé comes to rescue her only to be also diagnosed as insane before the telegram explaining it all is finally found. These things happen…

 

Costas Fotopoulos provided sprightly accompaniment for both films and kept a straight face for the finances and the “loony tunes… there was more than enough going on there anyway. Again, Asta dominates the attention so much you wonder what impact this has on the playing; with both accompanists today, there was a deep blend with the narrative that showed how sure footed Nielsen’s performances were and how hard it is to not watch/play along with, her every move.

 

The Asta Nielsen season continues apace through to March, full details are on the BFI site.


There are delicious tints for The Queen of the Stock Exchange and, of course, once again, Asta wears the trousers...




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