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The Threepenny Opera

Play trailer Poster for The Threepenny Opera 1931 1h 53m Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
The satiric 1928 Brecht-Weill stage production formed the basis for this tale of a daring turn-of-the-century gangster.
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The Threepenny Opera

Critics Reviews

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Mae Tinee Chicago Tribune As an antiquity, its sardonic story has some merit and its technical flaws are excusable, altho by modem standards the acting is atrocious, the lighting poor, the sound track off key and there are several spots in which the screen simply goes blank. Jun 18, 2020 Full Review Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site Pabst's film, an early talking picture, is a more overtly anti-capitalist polemic than the original stage version. Feb 26, 2021 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A scathing social satire. Rated: B+ Feb 22, 2011 Full Review Sean Axmaker Turner Classic Movies Online It's a lavish production and it shows in every frame, yet [director G.W.] Pabst is also true to Brecht's political commentary and social satire. Oct 13, 2007 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 4/5 Jul 16, 2005 Full Review Mark R. Leeper rec.arts.movies.reviews Rated: 3/5 Dec 21, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (44) audience reviews
Audience Member good classic musical about London theater Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Pabst has done films far beyond this (i.e. Pandora's Box, Secrets of the Soul) but I still found it a highly enjoyable film. Makes me wish more Weimar directors did musicals. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member This film adaptation of one of Bertolt Brecht's definitive works shines as it honors it's source material and provides the viewer with a rather delightfully strange cinematic experience. I'm a big fan of Jean Luc Godard who has cited Bertolt Brecht as one of his influences, and has honored him by translating much of his theatrical techniques (namely, the alienation effect)to the French silver screen. And having seen over a dozen of his films, I can say that this film almost perfectly captures Brecht's technique. It's actually quite a sight to behold, and manages to provide the viewer with a truly unique experience. It may not be for everyone, and the occasional moments of inexplicable silence, and the still "frozen" camera shots may cause unadjusted viewers to feel uncomfortable. But I personally found them to be astounding. And rather funny as well, which was somewhat unexpected. Without comparing it to the original (although I have to admit I have not seen the original play), The Threepenny Opera is still a rather intriguing experience. Mack The Knife is a very interesting anti-hero, his intensity and charm is addictive. The entire storyline is a bit messy at times, but it's interesting for the most part, but may not be the most gripping of stories. One issue I had, was the absence of one of the most pivotal points in the original play (that I had read about). The film still works without it, but after reading the original, I feel like it would have been just that much better if the film had been more faithful. Still, the music is great, the dialogue is very snappy, and all the performances are great. I'm not sure if fans of the original play will enjoy this as much, but I feel like it somewhat captures the essence of it (at least, I imagine that it does.) It's a rather original experience, but it's that very same uniqueness that may be off-putting to more "close-minded" viewers. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Somewhat dissapointing as I really loved Pandora's Box and the beginning shots were magnificant. Worth watching, but don't expect a whole lot. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Of all the Weimar films I've seen, this is the Weimariest, with a total disdain for bourgeois morality and every character looking like a Grosz drawing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A handsome adaptation from Pabst, with some lovely long takes and biting commentary. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Threepenny Opera

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Movie Info

Synopsis The satiric 1928 Brecht-Weill stage production formed the basis for this tale of a daring turn-of-the-century gangster.
Director
Georg Wilhelm Pabst
Producer
Seymour Nebenzahl
Screenwriter
László Vajda, Leo Lania, Béla Balázs
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts, Nero-Film AG, Tobis Filmkunst
Genre
Musical
Original Language
German
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 15, 2020
Runtime
1h 53m
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