The Threepenny opera = L'opera de quat' sous. Die Dreigroschenoper

In 19th Century London, Mack the Knife, a small-time criminal, marries Polly, the daughter of beggar-king, Peachum, and finds himself in a lot of trouble. In the early years of the sound era, film producers often made films in different language versions, using the same sets but different casts for each version. Pabst followed this practice with his twin versions of ‘The Threepenny Opera’ in German and French- ‘Die Driegroschenoper’(98 min.) and ‘L’Opera de Quat’ Sous’(105 min.). The two versions offer rich material for comparison. The German version was originally released in 1931 amidst political and legal controversy. The Nazis, rankled by its socialist message and attacks on government authority, ordered the destruction of the original negative and every print that could be found. The film’s unavailability bolstered its legendary status and, after many years of searching, a complete negative was found and a restored version released in 1960. Music by Kurt Weill. From the play by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. In French and German with English subtitles.