Editor's Top Picks Sharing the Atmosphere of Liebe im Rausch: Cult Guide

Dir: Georg Jacoby

Bulgaria at the beginning of the 20 century. A village in Macedonia.Bogdan Stimov is suspected of a murder which he has not committed. On his wife Anna's urgent request he resolves to flee the country. America. Known as Stimens, Bogdan has risen to the position of director of a munitions factory. The First Wold War breaks out. The Italian Eteli incites his compatriots against the Austrian and German workers at the factory. Stimov takes their side and is dismissed together with his friends Max and Friedrich. Eteli's sister Anna is in love with Max. With her help all four obtain the necessary paper and board a Swedish ship. Eteli gets in touch with the captain of an Italian mail-boat which overtakes and detains the fugitives. The captives manage to escape in a boat. They are rescued by a German submarine. Max, Anna and Friedrich go to Germany. In Bukgaria Stimov's estate has been seized by the invaders. One of them wants to marry Stimov's daughter Maritsa against her will. Bogdan arrives on the wedding day. Under his leadership the peasants rise in revolt. Anna is hiding with friends while Bgdan, Maritsa and his son Peter go to Sofia. At the palace Stimov kneels before the King and tells him the story of his life. He is pardoned and joins the army. Peter is an army volunteer and Maritsa becomes a nurse. The Serbian forces have been driven out of Macedonia. Stimov's estate have been into a field hospital. Among the wounded is Max. Eteli appears too and fires at Maritsa. Max and a young soldier jump on him. The bullet hits the young soldier. A doctor unbuttons his tunic to discover that this is a girl in disguise. Etelirecognizes his sister Anna. A military parade. Stimov receives a medal from the King. Together with Peter he returns to his village where they are greeted with joy.

Dir: Georg Jacoby

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Komtesse Doddy perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Georg Jacoby

A woman of the Latin Quarter, who has had numerous love affairs, flees from the wild life of Paris to bury her past in self-exile in South America.

Dir: Robert N. Bradbury

A simple country girl, brutally mistreated by her stepfather, awakens first the sympathy, then the love, of The Boy. The Spider, who lusts after The Girl, makes a bargain with the stepfather and takes her to the city where, kept prisoner, she is soon broken in health and spirit. Cast out and near death, she is taken in by The Boy. Following the demise of The Spider, The Boy takes her to church, where he prays, and after many hours she is restored to health.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Last Payment perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Edgar Jones

A mail-order bride arrives at a Maine lumber camp but doesn't like her prospective husband.

Dir: Wilfred Lucas

Brian O'Farrell (Snowy Baker), is an English 'new chum' who takes a job at an Australian cattle station. He is teased by station hands because of his appearance (including spats and a monocle) but he soon impresses them with his skills at riding and boxing. The station manager, John MacDonald (Wilfred Lucas), takes O'Farrell to Sydney to meet his daughter Edith (Kathleen Key) who is working in the slums. Edith is kidnapped by criminals after witnessing a crime but O'Farrell rescues her. It is later revealed he is the owner of the station.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Into the Light perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: William Parke

Bruce Wendell, the son of West Virginia coal mine owner James Wendell, graduates from West Point and prepares to lead a fighting unit to the front during World War I. As his father lies dying, however, he convinces Bruce to remain at home and guard the mine. Bruce's fiancée Ann Blair assumes that he is a coward and breaks off their engagement, but her brother Bobbie remains Bruce's loyal friend. Meyer, a German agent, persuades railroad president Parrish to refuse to transport Wendell's coal, but when Bruce adamantly refuses to close the mine, the spy's men decide to blow it up. While Ann is being abducted by Meyer, Bobbie is buried in an explosion at the mine. Bruce rescues Bobbie and then sends a plea to Lieutenant Parrish to rescue Ann. Meyer and his gang are captured and Ann renews her vow of love to Bruce.

Dir: Georg Jacoby

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of In the River perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Harley Knoles

Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.

Dir: Georg Jacoby

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.