The Burning Soil

One of Murnau's silent films. There are two brothers. Peter stays on their father's farm, works the land and is content where he is. Johannes has gone to the town, works as a clerk at the neighbouring estate and wants more. When the estate's old owner dies, his land is divided. Among it is one field: long considered worthless and wanted by nobody. But there is oil under it, and only a few people know. Johannes gets hold of that knowledge and looks for a way to acquire the field. The way is clear: marry the estate's young widow. What the film is interested in is not greed but what greed makes of a person. Johannes gets what he wanted and gains nothing. The snow-covered landscapes, the interiors of the estate and the fire in the last section are its most-cited images. F. W. Murnau directed. The film was considered lost for a long time. More than forty years later a print was found and it returned to circulation. A worthwhile discovery for anyone who likes silent cinema and early German film. For a viewer expecting a fast narrative, it moves heavily and the melodramatic shapes are pronounced.