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The main personalities of Weimar Film are not particularly the actors and actresses, as is often the case with today's films. Instead, the most important names are those of the directors. Comparisons are made not only between the films of different directors, but also between the films of one specific director. The art of a film lies primarily in its direction and only secondly in the acting. In my opinion, the direction, photography, plot and editing are more important in Weimar films than the acting. This is probably only true for Weimar Film, since the acting was very dramatic and theatrical in those times due to the lack of speech and the newness of the film medium. Consequently, this website concentrates on directors. Under the name of each director is a list of their most well-known films with the year of their release in Germany. Underneath, there is a short biography on the career of each director.
Fritz LangMetropolis (1927), M (1931), Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922), Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (1933), Die Niebelungen (1924), Spione (1928) Born: 5th Dec. 1890, Vienna Died: 2nd Aug. 1976, Beverly Hills Fritz Lang studied painting in Paris from 1913 until 1914. When the First World War began, he went back to Vienna to sign up. After the War, he wrote for Decla in Berlin for a short while. Afterwards he wrote for Ufa before he became a director there. He also worked as a director at Nero-Film. Thea von Harbou, a girlfriend of his, wrote the story for his greatest films: Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, Die Niebelungen, Metropolis and M. Although Goebbels wanted Lang to take charge of the German Film Institute, Lang was not a National Socialist (perhaps because he was a Catholic), and thus he left Germany. In mid-1934, he arrived in America, where he worked for MGM. He returned to Germany in the mid-1950s. Nowadays, Fritz Lang is considered to be perhaps the best director of the Weimar Republic. Although it was initially not very popular, Metropolis is the film for which he will be remembered. Joe MayAsphalt (1929), Tragödie der Liebe (1924) Born: 7th Nov. 1880, Vienna Died: 29th Apr. 1954, Hollywood Joe May started directing in 1911. A few years later, he founded his own produciton company. Fritz Lang worked for May at the beginning of his career. After 1933, May fled to the United States, where he worked for Universal. His last film was made in 1944 for Monogram. Walther RuttmannBerlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927) Born: 28th Dec. 1887, Frankfurt-am-Main Died: 15th Jul. 1941, Berlin Walther Ruttmann used the newest techniques and was a director at Fox-Europa-Produktion. He was killed on the Eastern Font, where he was filming. F. W. MurnauNosferatu (1922), Faust (1926), Der letzte Mann (1924), Sunrise (1927), Tartüff (1926) Born: 28th Dec. 1888, Bielefeld Died: 11th Mar. 1931, Santa Barbara F. W. Murnau studied the history of art and literature at the University of Heidelberg. He was assistant to Max Reinhardt and began making films in Germany in 1919. He went to the USA in 1926. Robert WieneDas Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1919), Die Macht der Finsternis (1924) Born: 24th Apr. 1873, Breslau Died: 17. Jul. 1938, Paris Leni RiefenstahlThe Holy Mountain (1926), Triumph des Willens (1935) Born: 22nd Aug. 1902, Wedding, Berlin Died: 8th Sep. 2003, Poecking Leni Riefenstahl began her career by acting in the mountaineering films of Arnold Franck. Triumph des Willens was created as Nazi propaganda. She is remembered for this above anything else. Josef von SternbergDer blaue Engel (1930), The Salvation Hunters (1925) Born: 29th May 1894, Vienna Died: 22nd Dec. 1969, Hollywood Josef von Sternberg was an apprentice filmmaker from 1916 to the early 1920s. He made his first film, The Salvation Hunters in 1925. He was chosen to direct Germany's first film with sound, Der blaue Engel. Paul Wegener und Carl BoeseDer Golem (1920) Born: 11th Dec. 1874, Arnoldsdorf (Wegener), 26th Aug. 1887, Berlin (Boese) Died: 13th Sep. 1948, Berlin (Wegener), 6th Jul. 1958, Berlin (Boese) Der Golem was in fact a series of expressionist silent films. Both directors are probably most famous for this series. An exhaustive list of the films of each director can be found under The Internet Movie Database. This website also gives information about - amongst other things - the life of each director as well as just as much information about actors and actresses. |
Last updated: Tuesday 24th April 2007
Maria Slater
Pembroke College
University of Cambridge
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