The Devil's Circus

Plot

In 1913, Carl, a career criminal recently released from prison, becomes disillusioned with society and rejects God, returning to a life of theft. His path crosses with Mary, a devout orphan who travels to the city with her loyal dog Buddy to find work. Mary eventually finds employment as a trapeze artist in a circus, where she falls under the predatory gaze of Lieberkind, a brutal lion tamer. This sparks a lethal jealousy in Lieberkind's wife, Yonna, who sabotages Mary's trapeze act, causing a horrific fall into the lion pit. As World War I erupts, the characters are scattered by the chaos of the conflict, eventually reuniting in the aftermath to seek spiritual redemption and forgiveness for their past sins.

Historical Background

Released in 1926, the film sits at the height of the 'European Influx' in Hollywood, where studios like MGM were aggressively recruiting talent from UFA (Germany) and Scandinavia to elevate the artistic quality of American films. The story's setting—beginning in 1913 and moving through World War I—reflected a society still deeply processing the trauma of the Great War. The film's preoccupation with sin, divine punishment, and redemption mirrors the religious and moral anxieties of the post-war era.

Making Of

The production of 'The Devil's Circus' was marked by a clash between European artistic sensibilities and the burgeoning Hollywood studio system. Benjamin Christensen arrived at MGM with a reputation for dark, gothic, and experimental imagery, but he found himself assigned to a more conventional melodrama. He struggled with the collaborative nature of the studio, particularly the 'writer's room' approach where his scripts were heavily modified to suit American audience tastes. Despite these frustrations, Christensen brought a distinct visual flair to the film, particularly in the use of lighting and shadows during the circus and war sequences. The casting of Norma Shearer was a strategic move by the studio to pair a rising star with a prestigious European director.

Visual Style

The cinematography by Ben F. Reynolds is noted for its high-contrast lighting and dynamic cutting. Christensen utilized 'significant contrasts' and 'imaginatively composed pictures' to transform character psychology into physical action, a hallmark of his directorial style.

Innovations

The film is noted for its sophisticated use of double exposure and its realistic, high-stakes staging of circus stunts. The integration of the war sequence into the melodrama was also considered technically ambitious for a standard studio production.

Music

As a silent film, it originally premiered with live orchestral or organ accompaniment. Recent restorations have featured new scores, including piano accompaniment by modern silent film musicians like Mauro Colombis.

Memorable Scenes

• The 'Lion Pit' sequence: Mary falls from the sabotaged trapeze into the lion enclosure, creating a moment of genuine terror and suspense.
• The reunion: Carl and Mary find each other after the war, both physically and spiritually scarred, seeking a new beginning.
• The introduction of Buddy: Mary arriving in the big city with her small dog, highlighting her innocence against the looming dangers of the urban environment.

What Critics Said

At the time of its release, critics were divided; some praised the 'imaginatively composed pictures' and Christensen's dynamic direction, while others found the plot conventional or overly religious. Modern critics often highlight the film's visual intensity and the 'tense and amazing' lion pit sequence, though some note that it lacks the sheer transgressive power of Christensen's masterpiece, 'Häxan'.

What Audiences Thought

The film was a commercial success in 1926, drawing audiences with the star power of Norma Shearer and the spectacle of the circus setting. Contemporary silent film enthusiasts appreciate it as a rare surviving example of Christensen's American work and for the charming performance of Buddy the Dog.

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