AllMovie

The Treasure (Der Schatz), G. W. Pabst's first film, wasn't released in the U.S. until 1929, six years after its completion. On the surface a straightforward tale of the search for a buried treasure, the film is a textbook example of German expressionism, with the passions of the protagonists conveyed as much through symbolism as action. Werner Krauss steals the first scene as a retarded assistant bellmaker who skulks through the proceedings as if weighed down by a multitude of horrible secrets. In fact, only the character played by Hans Brausewetter, that of a "journeyman artisan," is in any way likeable. Evidently Pabst got all of his expressionistic tendencies out of his system with The Treasure, opting for gritty realism in his subsequent efforts.