Kino continues its exemplary series of Weimar Cinema releases with the 1932 film F. P. 1 DOESN'T ANSWER. Both the original German and English-language versions of the film are included on this disc.
The story concerns the F. P. 1, or Floating Platform One, an artificial island built in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The purpose of F. P. 1 is to be a way-station for airplanes. The project is spurred on by aviator-adventurer Ellissen (Hans Albers). Ellissen's friend Droste (Paul Hartmann) is the designer and captain of the facility. The two men are both in love with Claire Lennartz (Sybille Schmitz). When F. P. 1 is sabotaged, Claire convinces a down-on-his-luck Ellisson to fly to the platform and save the facility.
When I was a kid, and I started reading about fantastic cinema, F. P. 1 was almost always mentioned in books about science-fiction movies. It does have a sci-fi element in the floating platform, but the story is very much grounded in the reality of the time. The F. P. 1 is not presented here as a far-flung entity--it is developed as something that could actually exist and work. The miniatures and indoor/outdoor sets used to represent the F. P. 1 are very effective, as expected from a production made by the legendary UFA Studios and Erich Pommer.
What gets in the way of showcasing the F. P. 1 is the love triangle sub-plot between the main characters, especially in the German version. Droste is stable and hard-working, Ellissen is restless and devil-may-care, and Claire is stuck between them...it's the type of plotting one has seen in numerous movies and TV shows. The story was based on a novel by Curt Siodmak, and obviously the human element was injected to give the audience an emotional link, but personally I would rather have been shown more about the floating platform. The sabotage element of the story is not developed enough--we never really find out who the bad guys are, or the reason why they want to bring F. P. 1 down. (It also seemed way to easy to shut down such a grand creation as F. P. 1.)
One of the highlights of the German version is the casting of Peter Lorre as Ellisson's hapless photojournalist pal. Lorre doesn't have all that much to do, but as usual, he always draws the viewer's attention. The German cut also has a recurring song about the wonders of flying.
The English version of F. P. 1 has Conrad Veidt as Ellisson, Jill Esmond as Claire, and Leslie Fenton as Droste. The English version runs about a half-hour less than the German one, and the pacing is much quicker. All the scenes in the English version are filmed exactly like their German counterparts--the shots and camera set-ups are the same, as is the dialogue. Conrad Veidt is much livelier in the role of Ellisson than Hans Albers. The title of the English version is SECRETS OF F. P. 1.
A French version of F. P. 1 was also made at the same time, starring Charles Boyer as Ellisson. That version unfortunately is not on this disc (I assume it was unavailable). Karl Hartl is listed as director of all three versions.
Both the English and German versions of F. P. 1 on this Kino Blu-ray look quite sharp, with above-average sound. (English subtitles are available for the German version.) The main extra is a new audio commentary by Eddy von Mueller. Mueller (who has a very deliberate way of speaking) goes into detail about the film and Weimar Cinema in general, and also focuses on the cast & crew's dealings with the Nazi regime. This is a Region A Blu-ray.
My interest in early German cinema is basically due to METROPOLIS. F. P. 1 certainly isn't in that category, but it has enough to satisfy film geeks. The floating platform itself is truly the star of the show, and I couldn't help but feel that it's the type of facility a James Bond villain might use. The English version, with its faster rhythm and Conrad Veidt, might come off better to the average viewer.
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