Movie Review: The Mistress of Atlantis

The Mistress of Atlantis (a.k.a. The Lost Atlantis a.k.a. L'Atlantide) 

Starring: Brigitte Helm, John Stuart, Tela Tchaï, Gustav Diessl, Gibb McLaughlin, Mathias Wieman, Odette Florelle, Georges Tourreil, Rositta Severus-Liedernit, Gertrude Pabst, Wladimir Sokolow 

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst 

Nero-Film AG, Germany, 1932. 

The story is loosely based on the novel "L'Atlantide" by Pierre Benoît.

This movie is published as a part of Nightmare Worlds 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment.

There is a theory that Atlantis is located in Southern Sahara. Many people have disappeared in Sahara without trace. French Foreign Legion Lt. Saint-Avit (John Stuart) claims to have found Atlantis two years ago. He also says that he killed his friend Captain Morhange (Gustav Diessl). 

Lt. Saint-Avit

Two years ago group of legionnaires were sent on a secret mission to find out the political feelings of Tuareg tribes. First part of the trip they are accompanied by female reporter (Gertrude Pabst, whose role seems to be a cameo). Later Saint-Avit and Morhange find an unknown mountain area and a half-dead Tuareg. Someone kills their guide so they must trust Tuareg to get them through the mountains. 

Morchange, reporter and Saint-Avit

Unconscious Tuareg

At night the legionnaires are attacked. They are captured and taken to a hidden city. Saint-Avit tries to find Morhange and faints from exhaustion. When he awakes, creepily happy Count Bielowsky (Gibb McLaughlin) introduces himself as Hetman of Jitomir. There is also a moody drug addicted Ivar Torstenson (Mathias Wieman). Torstenson is dying for love of Antinea. Mistress of Atlantis Antinea (Brigitte Helm, best known for "Metropolis") wishes to see Saint-Avit. Jealous Torstenson tries to strangle him. Torstenson then kills himself with a broken brandy glass. 

Tuareg

Count Bielowsky

Torstenson

Antinea and Saint-Avit play chess for Saint-Avit's freedom. Antinea proves to be superior player so he must stay. At Torstenson's funeral Saint-Avit sees a glimpse of Morhange. He runs after Morhange but finds only a giant statue of Antinea. The Count lived once in Paris and he arranged the marriage of dancer Clementine (Odette Florelle) and a Tuareg prince. But perhaps the Count is the real father of Antinea. 

Antinea

Game of chess

Clementine

Saint-Avit falls into Antinea's charms but she does not give him audience. Antinea has chosen Morchange. Saint-Avit starts to smoke drugs. Antinea's maid Tanit Zerga (Tela Tchaï) wants to save him. Morchange tries also to find Saint-Avit and goes to ask Antinea some questions. Morchange is immune to Antinea's charms as men should choose their women not the other way around! 

Tanit Zerga

Morhange

Lovesick Saint-Avit sneaks to Antinea's chamber and sees Morhange there. Antinea orders Saint-Avit to kill Morhange. After the murder Saint-Avit gets back to his senses and tries to attack Antinea, but he is knocked out. Tanit Zerga helps him escape the city. A Tuareg warrior sees them but lets them go. Maybe it was the Tuareg that the Legionnaires saved earlier. Saint-Avit and Tanit Zerga get lost in the desert. Tanit Zerga dies of thirst. Saint-Avit is saved. Tuareg comes to meet Saint-Avit. The other soldiers think that Saint-Avit has gone mad in the desert. Saint-Avit decides to return to Atlantis to find Antinea. 

Antinea and giant statue

The movie is very dreamlike and exotic but also very slow moving. Too much time is spent to running around the caverns. The story is quite difficult to grasp as even Saint-Avit does not know what is going on. G.W. Pabst was the master of German silent drama movies and also this movie looks a lot like a silent film. The movie was filmed in real locations in Sahara and it looks good. However the Atlantis setting is not used much as it could be any other lost city. This movie was filmed in English, French and German languages with different cast for each version. The Mill Creek version runs 77 minutes, hard to say if there are any longer versions.

Rating: Average