Sex in Chains

Kino is marketing this 1928 film as part of a series titled "Gay-Themed Films of the German Silent Era,” but that's a bit misleading. To be sure, one of the elements of the plot is that the protagonist who's imprisoned for manslaughter has a relationship with a fellow inmate during his three-year stretch, but it's portrayed in a very discreet fashion, through nothing more than glances and handholding. The picture is actually a plea for penal reform, specifically for the institution of conjugal visits, which--it's implied--would have prevented the infidelity that occurs on the part of not only the incarcerated husband but also his wife, who succumbs to the advances of her kindly boss. (The couple, both wracked with guilt and shame, commit suicide together after his release.) Slow and solemn, Sex in Chains, despite its provocative title, is more subdued argument than impassioned exposJ, and it's certainly not salacious. Presented on DVD in a fine restoration by the Filmmuseum Muenchen (with material cut by censors at the time of its original release), Sex in Chains is of interest not just as an example of Weimar-era filmmaking, but also because it was directed by William Dieterle, who later had a successful Hollywood career (helming The Life of Emile Zola and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, among others). His work here is mostly rather static, but on a few occasions he uses a mobile camera and montages to good effect. Dieterle also stars as the doomed hero, but his wooden performance suggests that little was lost when he gave up acting to work behind the camera full-time. Presented on an extra-less disc, this is a strong optional purchase. [Note: the other two titles in the "Gay-Themed Films of the German Silent Era" are Carl Theodor Dreyer's Michael (1924) and Richard Oswald's 1919 film Different From the Others (starring Conrad Veidt).] (F. Swietek)