The aftermath of World War One was defined in Europe, quite remarkably, by multiple, simultaneous cultural advances and experiments. These revolutionary developments ranged from classical music shedding its attachment to romantic tendencies and exploring expressionism, through art embracing the surrealist extensions of the mystical, to cinematic developments, and even architectural conflicts between modernism and classicism. In the Germanic world, suffering defeat in the Great War, despite its gravitas, did not stop innovation nor attempts to reinstate normalcy.
One of those innovations-cum-normalcy restoring elements that emerged in Germany and entered the international scene can be considered “sound film,” which was a relatively new invention in these first two decades of the 20th century. One of the German pioneers, Carl Froelich , helped establish the German variant of the “talkie,” or the sound film. From “The Night Belongs to Us” (1929), to many others, Froelich’s work was revolutionary.
A particularly interesting film, “Fire At The Opera” (1930), is among the many films to use opera as the base of its plot and musical narrative. Shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Berlin, the film exemplified the continued domination of the sound film in the European world and marked the definitive emergence of a new era of film. A Plot Fit For Opera The film’s story follows the narrative of many famous love triangles, frustrated pursuits, and tried and true love-them.