
Umberto D.1952
Both picked by Natasha Lyonne in the Criterion Closet, and both on Guy Maddin’s Top 10


Die Büchse der Pandora
Germany / German / 1929 / 2h 21m
One of the masters of early German cinema, G. W. Pabst had an innate talent for discovering actresses (including Greta Garbo). And perhaps none of his female stars shone brighter than Kansas native and onetime Ziegfeld girl Louise Brooks, whose legendary persona was defined by Pabst’s lurid, controversial melodrama PANDORA’S BOX. Sensationally modern, the film follows the downward spiral of the fiery, brash, yet innocent showgirl Lulu, whose sexual vivacity has a devastating effect on everyone she comes in contact with. Daring and stylish, PANDORA’S BOX is one of silent cinema’s great masterworks and a testament to Brooks’s dazzling individuality.
Natasha Lyonne
May 2025
1 streaming audio track
Commentary: Thomas Elsaesser and Mary Ann Doane
Streaming now, and why it pairs with this film

Both picked by Natasha Lyonne in the Criterion Closet, and both on Guy Maddin’s Top 10
Or
via Criterion Collection
via Criterion Collection