A man lives by his head,
But to suffice this cannot be,
Just try it with your own poor head,
It scarce will support a flea.
Because for this existence,
Man isn’t sly enough.
He hardly ever sees through,
All these lies and bluff.

Now just you make a plan,
Just be a shining light,
And then make still a second plan,
None will come out right.
Because for this existence,
Man isn’t bad enough
Though his higher strivings,
Are, for sure, great stuff.

Chase after happiness,
But see you chase with care,
For all chase after happiness,
It eludes them everywhere.
Because for this existence,
Man’s not pure enough, you see.
So all his high endeavors
Are but fantasy.


Historical Background: In 1931, on the eve of Nazi ascendancy in Germany, Georg Wilhelm Pabst (known as G.W.) adapted to cinema the magnificent opera by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht called The Threepenny Opera. That opera was already an adaptation of sorts of the 1728 opera by John Gay, called The Beggar’s Opera, set in the foggy docks of London amidst warehouses, whorehouses, street singers, beggars, and criminals. The main contours of the film already existed in the 18th century version, with the dashing Macheath – head of the criminal underworld of the docks, Jonathan Peachum, the King of the Beggars, his daughter Polly Peachum, and the police captain, Tiger-Brown.

In the late 1920’s, Germany struggled with hyperinflation that the socialist government was unable to control. Two leftist activists, Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht were killed and, to mark the occasion, a young atonalist composer with leftist sympathies by the name of Kurt Weill (1900-1950) composed Das Berliner Requiem on texts by a brilliant young leftist poet, Bertold (or Bertolt) Brecht (1898-1956). These two great kindred spirits, Weill and Brecht, shared the desire to break out of the regimented formalisms of the avant-guard movements in their respective fields of expression to better address the cataclysmic political events already underway in Germany. In 1927, the two collaborated on a concert setting of five poems by Brecht under the title The Little Mahagonny (which later served as the basis for a full-length opera). With it, Brecht and Weill cast their lots with the masses, Brecht by writing his poems in the vernacular and Weill by incorporating the jazz idiom. In 1928, they were presented with a second opportunity for collaboration when Brecht offered the script for The Threepenny Opera to an impresario (though there is some question as to how much of the work that went into this script was Brecht’s and how much that of his assistant, Elizabeth Hauptmann). Kurt Weill, Brecht insisted, would have to write the music. The lyrics were pieced together from Hauptmann’s translation of Gay’s lyrics into German along with some original lyrics by Brecht and adaptations of some poems by Francois Villon. The undated script became, in Brecht’s hands, biting social satire. It was Weill’s score, however, that blew the audience away. Opening in a small theater on August 28, 1928, the cheers resounded when the curtain fell on opening night. The Berlin run lasted more than five years, during which time versions also opening in France, Hungary, Russia. Denmark, Poland, and Holland. The operatic version played briefly on Broadway in 1933 but made its big splash in 1953 with a brilliant English adaptation of the Brecht text by Marc Blitzstein.

G.W. Pabst, with the backing of Nerofilm studios, approached Brecht about a film version in 1931. Pabst had already made some highly regarded films, including Pandora’s Box (1929) and Kameradschaft (1931). Brecht demanded to do the script but failed to deliver, dependability not being one of Brecht’s strong points. Pabst wanted his own screenwriters anyway so that the element of leftist social critique could be softened. Brecht later sued Pabst for copyright infringement but lost in court. Pabst had the good sense to cast the amazing Lotte Lenya (Weill’s wife) to reprise her stage role as the prostitute Jenny. Even with the toned down script, the parallels between criminals taking over legitimate businesses in The Threepenny Opera and the rise of the Nazis in Germany hit two close to home for the Nazis, who banned the film and destroyed the negative when they assumed power in 1933. The film was painstakingly reconstructed in the 1960’s.

The Story: On the narrow streets of London, a crowd gathers to listen to a crooner (Ernst Busch) recount the exploits of a legendary criminal called Mack the knife to the strains of a crank organ. Emerging from one of the many brothels, Mackie Messer (Rudolf Forster) listens with passing interest as it is he who the song describes. Smartly dressed and carrying a walking stick, Mackie sends his sometimes girlfriend and hooker, Jenny (Lotte Lenya) scurrying when he sets his sights on the comely Polly Peachum (Carola Neher). Not only is Polly attractive and smart, but she is also daughter of Jonathan Peachum (Fritz Rasp), who is the so-called King of the Beggars. Peachum provides beggars with various sympathy-inducing props, sure to tug at the heart strings of the middle and upper class pedestrians, in exchange for a percentage of their take.

Mackie proposes to the innocent, young Polly and the wedding is set for that very day – in a warehouse. Mackie’s team of goons are ordered to come up with “a complete bridal gown of brocade, complete house-furnishings, bridal bed, carpets, and a grandfather clock” by 2:10 that afternoon. “I hope it’s his last wedding”, says one. Even the chief of police, Tiger-Brown (Reinhold Schnüzel) is invited, since he and Mackie were once in the army together in India. The wedding is attended by various beggars and thieves, but Polly’s father is resolutely opposed and pressures Tiger-Brown to arrest Mackie and condemn him to the gallows. Otherwise, Peachum will organize a beggar’s revolt during the Queen’s coronation parade that is coming up in a few days time.

Themes: The hard-hitting satire of government and business interests run by crooks or dominated by corruption feels as apt today as it was in 1931. One need look no further than events like the Enron scandal for comparisons. There’s also a bit of a plug for strong women in this film. Polly Peachum starts out under the thumb of her father, then enthralled by the magnetic Mackie, but ends up saving her husband from the gallows and pulling the strings of the criminal operation and its “legitimate” wing.

Production Values: This film has a great look to it and the beautiful Weill soundtrack as well. It’s a theatrical kind of film with the feel of set pieces. The cold foggy mise en scene created by art director Andrej Andrejev evokes the London slums with expressionistic beauty. The cinematography by Fritz Arno Wagner is consistently appealing and sometimes even daring. Since dialog is minimal in this film, it helps to already have familiarity with the story.

The performance of the famous title song (which became the American hit song “Mack the Knife” in 1957) by Ernst Busch and the other street singer numbers are the highlights of the film, in my personal opinion. Busch also appeared in Kameradschaft (1931). Forster, Neher, and Lenya were also superlative, both in their acting and singing. The incomparable Lotte Lenya appeared in countless Berlin theater productions and in such films as The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) and Semi-Tough (1977). Bond fans will remember Lenya as the woman who got her kicks as a villain in From Russia with Love (1963). She may not have been the loveliest lass to walk the face of the earth but her singing voice had a tone and quality without peer. Her “Pirate Jenny” song epitomizes bitterness better than any other song I’ve ever heard.

In comparison to the Brecht script, the film disappoints a bit by watering down the social satire. Three of the best songs are omitted (the priceless “Ballad of Sexual Dependency”, “The Ballad of the Hangman”, and “The Tango Ballad”). On the other hand, the film includes a confrontation between the beggars and the queen’s carriage that provides better dramatic punch than the corresponding scene in the play. This is a wonderful film but not quite as musically satisfying as the magnificent 1953 English rendition that ran on Broadway in the 1950’s (which is or was available as an audio recording that has long been one of my favorites).

Bottom-Line: If you love modern classical music, Kurt Weill, Bertold Brecht, Berlin theater of the 1920’s and early 1930’s, or social satire combined with brilliant entertainment, this film is bound to please. I’ve loved the Threepenny Opera for years and will go back to it over and over again every now and then. I highly recommend this film and – yes – it is an unqualified masterpiece even if a tad less than the great stage version. This is a blue ribbon film all the way. The restored print from the 1960’s is comfortably watchable – not perfect but close enough. This film is in German with English subtitles. There’s also a French version with a different cast. The running time is 113 minutes.


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You can easily access my other opera reviews using the following lists:

Top-Twelve Film Versions of Operas
Metalluk's Twenty Best Pre-Romantic (Baroque & Classicism) Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Twenty-five Best Italian Romantic Period Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Twenty Best Non-Italian Romantic Period Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Thirty Best Operas of the 20th-Century, on DVD
Metalluk's Best Opera from Each Decade of the 20th-Century, on DVD

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older