Summertime wasn't made for a German count
. There are a lot of dangers outside the cosy gloomy of the Schloss; as for example, hordes of tourists who invade everyplace in order to take the most useless souvenirs or take useful pictures of this Herr Graf's Schloss,(However, this a minor problem that is solved easily by loosing a pack of hungry and ferocious Alsatian hounds). And besides this nuisance one has to deal with the rays of the sun that put at risk the characteristic aristocrat skin color not to mention the heat that can have terrible consequences for the aristocratic body, even sweat.
So, in order to avoid the summertime dangers and while hoping and sighing for the cold and dark winter, this German count decided the short film "Regen" ( Rain ), directed by Herr Joris Ivens in the silent year of 1929, was the perfect choice for the Schloss theatre. Herr Ivens was a Dutch filmmaker who experimented with the avant-garde, and "Regen" is one of the most avant-garde of Dutch films, a work that besides refreshing the atmosphere and the aristocratic mood, is a beautiful symphony of delicate water. It is deceptively simple but the artful visual composition made by Herr Ivens is evocative, sensitive, even nostalgic, a splendid collection of images about the daily and rainy life in an European city or how the rain is unchanging.
The film montage is absolutely brilliant, a gallery of images that depict a simple but lovely story of urban raindrops. It celebrates one of those remarkable little things that unfortunately go unnoticed, until Herr Ivens' skillful experimental direction, shows us the greatness and beauty of a rainy day.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must meet a fat and rich Teutonic heiress, rain or shine.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
