Alfred Abel

Gustav Fröhlich's Freder Fredersen expresses himself with his whole body in Metropolis (1927); Alfred Abel's Joh Fredersen is markedly more controlled. As the city's leader, Abel makes that difference suggest the habit of being obeyed. We felt grateful for his restraint when so many of the performances were demanding our attention. With him, we have time to look for a thought behind an expression. It is one reason Fritz Lang's crowded film remains engaging even when its people are behaving at their most emphatic.

Lang had already cast Abel as Count Told in Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922), while F.W. Murnau gave him Lorenz Lubota in Phantom (1922). His silent work also included Ernst Lubitsch, and later Marcel L'Herbier, for whom he played Alphonse Gunderman in L'Argent (1928). His characteristic method was to keep gestures small and let guarded expressions suggest internal tension. He often played dignified authority figures, but the chilly manner could leave room for warmth. We rate him for making such reserve worth attending to.

Lang makes particularly good use of that control in Metropolis. Rudolf Klein-Rogge's Rotwang readily fits the film's appetite for exaggeration, and Abel's quieter presence helps keep it from becoming exhausting. Brigitte Helm, as Maria, can also hold our attention by staying still, despite everything Lang has put around her. There is pleasure in being allowed to watch people behave differently within the same enormous production. We would not want everyone in it to act like Abel.

The move into sound brought more elegant gentlemen and aristocrats, with fewer chances to vary the part. Abel played Sir John Menier for Alfred Hitchcock in Mary (1931). His accustomed dignity was useful, but the increasing typecasting was a limitation. A guarded expression cannot provide endless interest if the roles keep asking for much the same thing. Start with Metropolis, and watch how little he needs to do to make its leader credible.