The first of the films Christensen directed in the United States, The Devil's Circus is really a European film, from the stark interior set design to the debate over the existence of God (more a Scandinavian theme than one typical of MGM). Great care was lavished on composition of shots, lighting, and montage-the climactic stampede is particularly dazzling-with plot a secondary matter. The circus always could provide a reliable backdrop of atmosphere and danger to stories of high-stakes drama and sexual jealousy. Here, it is also a good excuse for visual pyrotechnics. The characters are archetypes: Norma Shearer's Mary displays a naivete that would make Lillian Gish appear street smart; John Miljan ventures beyond his usual cad to an outright sexual predator. This, of course, is fitting for a film whose events are animated by Satan himself.-Lee Amazonas