Pandora's Box: Reopened with live music by John M. Davis

Pandora’s Box, the 1929 silent masterpiece by G.W. Pabst starring Louise Brooks, was dismissed by critics and censored on its release. It was rediscovered by cineasts in the 1950’s and restored to its full running time in 2009.

This is not that version. Often during a film mix we “reopen the edit” to an otherwise “locked” cut. I wanted to create an original musical score for this great movie, but I thought asking people to sit still for 2 hours and 14 minutes might be asking a bit too much.

So, what to do? I started by removing the all dialogue cards — 30 minutes in total! By this late stage of the silent era many filmmakers were reducing text to the bare minimum. Some finer points of the plot may be lost, but the story is iconic and remains comprehensible. I then focused on Louise Brooks, who to me is a 2026 woman stuck in a 1920’s world. Any scene without her had to go. Finally I added a few exterior and expansive interior shots from other 1920’s German films to make the studio production seem less claustrophobic.

Aside from a few familiar quotations (Wagner’s bridal chorus, Dies Irae, Duke Ellington’s Caravan) and my interpretation of the 2nd movement of Ravel’s 2nd piano concerto, the music is all original with themes for each character. For the many dance scenes I wrote in a “Weimar Republic” style. I will perform on keyboards, computer loops and sequences, harmonica and the always intriguing theremin.

Dare to reopen the box!

Running time one hour, 29 minutes

-- notes by John M. Davis

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Host or Publisher John M. Davis