I am really in love with this gem. Honestly, I thought nothing can top CALIGARI - and yes, while this is true for me, personally - I am really impressed by the pure creativity and concept of this film - or so to say: Expressionism itself.
While CALIGARI features a rather 'real' setting with exterior shots and a complex story, FROM MORN TIL MIDNIGHT is shot only in studio, featuring the story of a lost cashier, who (fueled by the love for a strange woman) robs the bank and explores (night)life with the new money. I can see why this movie (probably) could not make it into cinemas at the time: the storyline is kind of flat and expectable and the characters are very classic archetypes.
BUT: This gem sparkles in different ways! I've never seen a technique like that: the costumes, the stage, the probs, everything is painted with heavy white paint; enhancing shapes and creating a more painting-like impression than a 3D-film. The actors wear heavy make-up (almost looking hideous) and the strong contrasting colors (black and white) nearly kill all shadows: the film feels like a painting come to life. With the cheapest tools made possible. This is just AMAZING!
I was impressed how 'shallow' the world (three-dimensional impression) looks in this film, all background fading into a black backdrop. The furniture, doors, houses, all is crooked and distorted (even stronger than CALIGARI's set), looking rather grotesque and strange. With simple shapes lamps, roads, windows, chairs and other objects come to life... and yet, after 10 minutes in, you forget that all these things are just 'paintjobs' and you get lost in this dream-like, surreal world.
Sure, this film is not for EVERYbody, it is quite strange, artsy, old and without music even more strange (so better pick a version with soundtrack)... but if you are brave enough to look at it, you'll see a totally different approach to film-making, made nearly 100 years ago. This is creativity at its purest form.
Grab a bottle of whine, take your friends and laugh with the film together in your home cinema, maybe after you emptied the bottle (or 2). It will enrich you - somehow! Up we go, into the Expressionism dream world!
