Johannes, a character in the film, is a jerk. He doesn't care about people, he doesn't care about this, he uses women...the list goes on and on...
Yet, three of the main women in this movie, in fact, the three main women in this movie love him, because after all, he's handsome...
First there's Gerda, the daughter of a count who oversees some serfs (of which Johannes is one). Gerda, played by probably the most famous actress of the lot, Lya de Putti, spends times with Johannes and vice versa.
There there's Helga, the count's current wife. Being younger, Gerda is better looking, but she unknowingly sabotages herself when she gets Johannes a job as her father's secretary.
One day the count dictates his will to Johannes and the latter learns that Helga is to inherit something called "The Devil's Field", which Johannes knows is rich in oil. He drops Gerda like a bad habit and takes up with Helga. In fact, the count catches them in an embrace. The count, a much better sport that I would have been in this situation, asks each if they love the other. They both say they do.
Johannes has already done quite a bit I addition to making time with these ladies. He is late to his father's passing and informs his brother, Tom, that he doesn't want to work the farm, like Tom will.
There's a young lady named Maria who one day shows up and asks Tom for a job. He agrees. Later on in the film, Tom asks Maria to marry him. Maria then informs him that she wanted the job because Johannes would be there! Getting back to Johannes and Helga, it's a loveless marriage. After all, Johannes didn't want Helga, he wanted the money from the oil at "The Devil's Field" and gets financial backing to excavate the oil.
While he knows about the oil, Helga doesn't and sells it to Tom for 12,000 marks. Johannes sees the money and asks Helga where it came from. When Helga tells him, he freaks out and informs her that she must cancel the sale. Helga figures out, finally, that Johannes never really loved her. He later informs Gerda the same was true of her, too.
Helga goes to Tom and gets the sale canceled, then (off-camera) commits suicide. Amazingly, Johannes feels really bad as her dead body is deposited in the serf's house.
Gerda, in the meantime, decides to take revenge and blows up "The Devil's Field". Johannes is all repentant (possibly because of the suicide of Helga?). The field is not completely ruined and Johannes is welcomed back to the serf's home.
It gets a "9" and not a "10" only because Johannes doesn't get his.
Yet, three of the main women in this movie, in fact, the three main women in this movie love him, because after all, he's handsome...
First there's Gerda, the daughter of a count who oversees some serfs (of which Johannes is one). Gerda, played by probably the most famous actress of the lot, Lya de Putti, spends times with Johannes and vice versa.
There there's Helga, the count's current wife. Being younger, Gerda is better looking, but she unknowingly sabotages herself when she gets Johannes a job as her father's secretary.
One day the count dictates his will to Johannes and the latter learns that Helga is to inherit something called "The Devil's Field", which Johannes knows is rich in oil. He drops Gerda like a bad habit and takes up with Helga. In fact, the count catches them in an embrace. The count, a much better sport that I would have been in this situation, asks each if they love the other. They both say they do.
Johannes has already done quite a bit I addition to making time with these ladies. He is late to his father's passing and informs his brother, Tom, that he doesn't want to work the farm, like Tom will.
There's a young lady named Maria who one day shows up and asks Tom for a job. He agrees. Later on in the film, Tom asks Maria to marry him. Maria then informs him that she wanted the job because Johannes would be there! Getting back to Johannes and Helga, it's a loveless marriage. After all, Johannes didn't want Helga, he wanted the money from the oil at "The Devil's Field" and gets financial backing to excavate the oil.
While he knows about the oil, Helga doesn't and sells it to Tom for 12,000 marks. Johannes sees the money and asks Helga where it came from. When Helga tells him, he freaks out and informs her that she must cancel the sale. Helga figures out, finally, that Johannes never really loved her. He later informs Gerda the same was true of her, too.
Helga goes to Tom and gets the sale canceled, then (off-camera) commits suicide. Amazingly, Johannes feels really bad as her dead body is deposited in the serf's house.
Gerda, in the meantime, decides to take revenge and blows up "The Devil's Field". Johannes is all repentant (possibly because of the suicide of Helga?). The field is not completely ruined and Johannes is welcomed back to the serf's home.
It gets a "9" and not a "10" only because Johannes doesn't get his.