In the 1929 film Pandora’s Box, the central character’s first name is Lulu. Louise Brooks plays Lulu in G. W. Pabst’s adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s dramatic works.
The title can cause confusion because viewers may expect the protagonist to be named Pandora. She is not. Lulu is a separate character whose story echoes the older myth through themes of fascination, social disruption, and disastrous consequences.
Lulu’s relationships drive the film’s narrative. Her charm and independence attract people from different parts of society, while the consequences of their desires create the film’s dark progression. The character’s identity is therefore central to the film’s literary and cinematic history.
The film is often discussed alongside Wedekind’s plays, especially Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box. Pabst’s version condenses and visually reworks the stage material, but it retains Lulu as the dramatic focus rather than presenting the Greek goddess-like figure from ancient myth.