Fritz Lang’s Tiger of Eschnapur

It was Fritz Lang’s triumphant return to German cinema, but much of the filming happened in India. In a way, that was fitting, since German expat filmmaker helped jump-start the India film industry with silent films such as A Throw of Dice and Shiraz. In this case, Lang was also returning to the source novel written by his infamous/celebrated wife, Thea von Harbou that he developed for the screen in 1921, before the studio handed the project over to another director. He would need two films to complete his unfinished business, neither of which has been released theatrically in America in their original uncut form, until now. Separate admissions will be required when Lang’s restored The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb open today in New York.

Fortunately, everyone in India speaks perfect German, so Harald Berger has no trouble getting around. The architect has come to Eschnapur at the behest of Maharaja Chandra to build schools and hospitals. On his way to the palace, Berger saves Seetha, a bi-racial temple dancer from a hungry tiger. The Maharaja had also summoned Seetha to perform ritual dances that are just slightly risqué than what you might find in Showgirls. (These bits were largely carved out when both films were cobbled together for its prior problematic American release as Journey to the Lost City).

Of course, Berger and Seetha fall in love with each other and just as naturally, the Maharaja falls hard for her and seethes with jealousy when he discovers their secret romance. The resulting intrigue does not bode well for the construction of Eschnapur’s surely needed schools and hospitals.

The entire cast is German, except for American Debra Paget, so there is no getting around the problematic “brown-face” makeup. However, the scenery looks authentic, because much of the film was shot in India, including the stunningly cinematic City Palace, Udaipur, where select scenes for Octopussy were also later filmed. Paget’s wardrobe and choreography for Seetha is also what you might describe as “eye-catching.”

Fritz Lang’s The Indian Tomb

The previous film in Fritz Lang’s so-called “Indian Epic” ends with both a cliffhanger and a spoiler. We are told flat out that the two star-crossed lovers will indeed be saved, even though their chances of survival were looking pretty paltry. Yet, it will turn out to be a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire for Seetha the temple dancer and Harald Berger, the German architect, in Lang’s The Indian Tomb, the second part of his Indian Epic, which opens today at Film Forum, in conjunction with, but separately from part 1, The Tiger of Eschnapur.

Previously on Fritz Lang’s Indian Epic, Seetha and Berger tried to escape the Maharaja’s clutches, but didn’t flee far enough. Soon Seetha will be forced back into the Maharaja’s gilded cage, while Berger will be secretly held captive by the lovelorn despot’s envious brother, Prince Ramigani, for his own scheming purposes. Unbeknownst to Chandra, there is a pitched power struggle going on behind the scenes and nearly all the players have lined up behind Ramigani, with only the influential General Dagh remaining loyal to the Maharaja.

There was a lot of scene-setting and expositional set-up in Tiger, so it is quite impressive how Lang, the old master, manages to keep it felling snappy. In contrast, Indian Tomb revels in all the resulting intrigue. We are talking about secret passages and shadowy cabals here. Yet, the lush scenery and Debra Paget’s sexually charged dance numbers remain the greatest attractions. In fact, Indian Tomb boasts the infamous/celebrated “snake dance.”