
This GW Pabst production was know by many titles, both in Europe (where it was alternately released as Abwege and Begierde) and the US (where it was shipped out as Byways, Crisis and Desire). Brigitte Helm, of Metropolis fame, stars as Irene, the wife of self-absorbed Robert (Gustav Diessl). Feeling neglected, Irene strays from the marital nest, leading to a series of horrendous suppositions and misunderstandings. Critics in 1928 felt that Abwege was far below the standards of Pabst's best-known film Secrets of a Soul. If the film is forgotten today, it is probably because it was followed by the director's masterpiece, Pandora's Box (1929). CAST: Brigitte Helm as Irene Beck Gustav Diessl as Thomas Beck, her husband Hertha von Walther as Liane, her friend Jack Trevor as Walter Frank, the painter Fritz Odemar as Möller Nico Turoff as Sam Taylor, the boxer Ilse Bachmann as Anita Haldern
Brigitte
Helm
Abwege
Pabst
Expressionism
Psychology
Germany
silent
film
marriage