Frank Wedekind wrote the German play Die Büchse der Pandora, which inspired the 1929 film Pandora’s Box. Wedekind’s play is part of his dramatic treatment of Lulu, a controversial and destructive figure.
The 1929 film was directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst and stars Louise Brooks as Lulu. It draws primarily on Wedekind’s Lulu plays, Erdgeist and Die Büchse der Pandora, rather than retelling the ancient Greek myth directly.
The film’s title creates an association with the classical story, but its plot belongs to early twentieth-century European drama and cinema. Lulu’s relationships, social position, and downfall form the center of the narrative.
Wedekind’s works were influential in modern German theater and helped establish Lulu as a lasting dramatic character. The title is therefore a literary reference as well as the name of a silent film.