Phantom (1922)

PHANTOM  (1922)  ¢ ¢ 1/2
    D: F.W. Murnau
    Alfred Abel, Lil Dagover, Lya de Putti,
    Frieda Richard, Aud Egede-Nissen, Grete Berger
The downfall of an honest man. A German silent melodrama about a young would-be poet whose life hits the skids just when he thinks he's about to be published. As it happens, he's not going to be published, but it takes him a while to figure that out, and in the meantime all kinds of bad choices are made and all kinds of bad things happen. Alfred Abel looks way too old to be playing the young dreamer - he could pass for William S. Hart's brother - and his character seems incapable of finding any joy in life, whether he's home with his books and his long-suffering mother, or out on the town cavorting with sinners. (Sinning turns out to be something he's not particularly good at.) So it's not too convincing, but the camerawork looks real good, especially the restored version with its vibrant color tints. Released the came year as Murnau's vampire classic "Nosferatu".