Varieté (1925) | Catch the German silent masterpiece on Blu-ray

(Image credit: BBC / Jack Barnes)

A key work of German silent cinema and an international smash on its release, the visually arresting 1925 melodrama Varieté gets a restored dual format from Eureka!

Variet&eacute; (1925) — (Image credit: BBC / Jack Barnes)

When carnival worker Boss Huller (Emil Jannings) meets young émigré Berta-Marie (Lya De Putti), it kindles his desire to relaunch his career as a trapeze artist. Deserting his wife and infant son, he sets out with Berta-Marie to Berlin where the two are soon hired by famed aerialist Artinelli (Warwick Ward) to headline the city’s premier circus attraction. But while Boss rejoices in his new-found fame, Artinelli begins an illicit affair with Berta-Marie, which – when uncovered – drives Boss to plot his revenge…

As part of Eureka!'s The Master of Cinema Series, Varieté is presented here in a new restoration by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation of the original German 1:34:28 version, with PCM audio on the Blu-ray and optional English subtitles.

The special features include a choice of three scores, from Stephen Horne, Johannes Contag and The Tiger Lillies, plus the complete American version of the film. A booklet featuring new writing and archival images is also included.