Many years ago, during stormy and cold aristocratic winter nights, this Herr Graf's very rigid grandpa used to tell to his spoiled new generation of Teuton grandsons, incredible stories about Valkyries and Nibelungs. He did this in order to keep these youngsters isolated and ignorant about the common world outside (though apparently said world did exist even though this Herr Von never saw it).
But besides Teutonic stories, there was also room for ancient tales from outside Deutschland and one of these that this Herr Graf remembers pretty well was the story of the myth of Prometheus, a Herr Titan who stole fire from Zeus, a very important Herr. For this bold action, Herr Prometheus was cruelly punished by Herr Zeus, chained to a rock where an eagle was to eat his eternally replenished liver every day. Obviously, Grandpa did not spare the gory details for his grandsons and vividly described how the eagle enjoyed feasting every day on Herr Prometheus' liver. Such vivid descriptions guaranteed that his terrified grandsons would go quietly to bed, thoroughly scared.
Some years later, the great French film director Herr Marcel L'Herbier adapted the myth of Prometheus in a very interesting short film, "Prométhée
Banquier" (1921).
Given the financial crisis of today, no doubt many long haired youngsters would enjoy settling scores with those greedy bankers who cause economic havoc in the global economy but unfortunately "Prométhée
Banquier" was filmed many years before the 1929 crash so Herr L'Herbier took a different approach to the subject and made a film about the risks of being a workalcholic (a modern disease that, fortunately, is rare among German counts who prefer drinking to work).
With frenzied editing, Herr L'Herbier tells the story of the banker Herr Prévoyan who, as Prometheus, is chained to his desk and his business. He loves a sophisticated fraulein, Frau Gaby, who feels neglected and cheats on him with his secretary, Herr Toudieu. She finally makes the decision to flee from the banker because she wants to be as happy as when she was -er- poor.
"Prométhée
Banquier" reflects about morals and the economy and the perils of modern life and duty where dedication to work trumps personal relationships and leads to producing automatons.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count is having liverwurst for lunch today.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com