Bruce Loeb on Piano

(Die Bergkatze, a.k.a. The Mountain Cat). Lubitsch's anti-militaristic satire, in which an army commander and his soldiers are all portrayed as inefficient, apathetic bumblers, has the distinction of being one of H. L. Mencken's favorite films. Pola Negri plays Rischka, the “Wildcat” in love with the handsome Lieutenant Alexis. (It seems that all the women near Fort Tossenstein are in love with Alexis: as he passes through the town, a crowd of children wave flags and cry “Papa!”) Sets and costumes by Ernst Stern are a fascinating blend of Expressionism and late Jugendstil, and the film also has its surrealist moments: in a dream sequence, Alexis literally gives his heart to Rischka; later, they are seen dancing to the accompaniment of an orchestra of snowmen.