THE OYSTER PRINCESS / s.s. BELGENLAND / HEARSEE / CINEMOBILE
The Oyster Princess
Ernst Lubitsch 1919, music by Peter Vermeersch 2005 / 64’‘The Oyster Princess’ tells the story of oyster tycoon Quaker, a man so rich he even has a butler to hold his cigar while he smokes. The one thing left that could possibly impress king Quaker, would be to have his daughter Ossi marry a bona fide prince. He finds a poor prince, prince Nucki, who in turn sends his friend Joseph to get an idea of what Ossi is like... ‘The Oyster Princess’ marks a turning point in director Ernst Lubitsch’ comedy work. He leaves the slapstick behind and evolves toward a sophisticated form of satire. The target of his humour in this case is the American bourgeoisie, personified by the wealthy businessman ‘the Oyster King’. Laced with sour humour, we hear the story of the boundless wealth of the American bourgeoisie in the twenties and the snobbish attitude of the impoverished European aristocracy. Lubitsch is known mainly for his Hollywood-period in the 1940’s and 1950’s with ‘The Shop Around the Corner’, ‘Ninotchka’, ‘Heaven can wait’ and many others. A few films from his Berlin period (ca. 1915) were recently restored, amongst others Carmen (Gypsy Blood) and Die Austernprinzessin from 1919.
For the 2005 edition of the Flanders International Film Festival – Ghent, composer Peter Vermeersch wrote the music (score and sound mix) for the Oyster Princess and FES accompanied this film live. This project combines a director of historical importance with the refreshing FES approach and therefore appeals not only to the habitual audience of music lovers but also to film fans. For this specific audience FES recorded The Oyster Princess on DVD, together with the short film ‘Brasschaet 1932’, a curiosum about a bicycle race with a score by Peter Vermeersch.
More info www.lubitsch.com
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Available with subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch and Ukrainian.
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The screening of The Oyster Princess is a co-production of the Festival of Flanders, Vooruit Arts Centre, the Flanders International Film Festival - Ghent, deSingel, Motives Festival Genk and Bonk vzw. The dvd was released in 2007 by Bonk vzw in cooperation with the Royal Belgian Film Archive.
Reprise with restored Murnau version
In 2019 FES celebrated its 20 year jubilee with the 100th anniversary of 'The Oyster Princess. After almost 14 years and many international screenings including Museum of Moving Image – New York, Ottawa, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico, FES performed its most succesful production once again. For this reprise we work with the restored Murnau version of the film. The image quality of this version is truly exceptional!
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MAC, Birmingham 02-10-2010
(by the Jazzbreakfast, 03-10-2010)
The Belgian big band, Flat Earth Society, were playing a live soundtrack, written and arranged by their leader Peter Vermeersch, to Die Austernprinzessin (The Oyster Princess), an Ernst Lubitsch silent film from 1919.
It’s a surreal and extremely funny film, grotesque and slapstick by turns, and from this distance in time, and Lubitsch being less familiar than Chaplin or Keaton, would probably have provided a satisfyingly entertaining hour on its own.
The music transformed it into something much more enjoyable still.
The nature of the film, the opulence of the millionaire’s and his daughter’s lifestyle (his afternoon nap and her bath routine both highlights), the poverty of the Prince’s contrasting circumstances, the emphasis on drunkeness and its after-effects, all these give Vermeersch full licence to explore the comic brass band and circus band elements of the Flat Earth Society’s make-up, and his 13 players were managing a few laughs and smiles even as they were tied in to the demanding work of following conductor and film transmitted on supplementary screens.
And who could resist the screen board stating simply: “A foxtrot epidemic breaks out”?
Although it is mostly ensemble playing, there are occasional improvisational and solo sections built in. I also liked the fact that Vermeersch wasn’t hidebound to providing a continuous soundtrack, sometimes leaving silences, and and not always at the obvious moments. His choice of other sounds was brilliant, too. Bird calls are used at one point, mock operatic singing too, and incomprehensible mumbling… the wit and humour of the music adding extra layers of humour and insight into the broad comedy of the film.
Perfectly balanced as the film/music experience was, I couldn’t help thinking I’d also like the opportunity to give the Flat Earth Society my undivided attention sometime. Maybe Birmingham Jazz (this was a co-promotion with mac) can bring this superb group of musicians back.
Pordenone Silent Film Festival
(Sean Axmaker, Green Cine Daily, 16/10/2006
…My musical highlight at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival was the rollicking score that the high-energy fourteen-piece combo The Flat Earth Society brought to Ernst Lubitsch's burlesque of a social satire The Oyster Princess (1919), a frenzied farce that spoofs the vulgarities of the nouveau riche and the pretensions of the penniless aristocracy. The match of music and movie was perfect; the combo's mix of swing, music hall and circus sounds matched the attitude and the pace of Lubitsch's runaway comedy, notably in an extended dance sequence that spins out of the ballroom scene to the entire mansion during an impromptu wedding party. It's silly and absurd and often hilarious, and directed at such a clip that it sweeps up the audience in its knockabout insanity….
