Robert Wiene
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Robert Wiene (; 27 April 1873 – 17 July 1938) was a
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
of the silent era of
German cinema The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg became a household synonym for the early 20 ...
. He is particularly known for directing the German silent film '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' and a succession of other
expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
films. Wiene also directed a variety of other films of varying styles and genres. Following the
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
rise to power in Germany, Wiene, who was of
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
descent, fled into exile.


Biography


Early life

Robert Wiene was born in Breslau, in the German
Province of Silesia The Province of Silesia (german: Provinz Schlesien; pl, Prowincja Śląska; szl, Prowincyjŏ Ślōnskŏ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1740 and established as an official p ...
(now the city of
Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
in Poland), as the elder son of the successful
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
actor Carl Wiene. His younger brother Conrad also became an actor, but Robert Wiene at first studied law at the
University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...
.


Career in Germany

In 1908 he also started to act, at first in small parts on stage. His first involvement with film was in 1912, writing and (possibly) directing '' Die Waffen der Jugend''. His most memorable feature films are the
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
'' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920) and '' Raskolnikow'' (1923), an adaptation of
Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
's ''
Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...
'', both of which had a deep influence on the German cinema of that time.


Exile and death

Four months after the Nazis took power, Wiene's latest film, ''Taifun'', was banned on 3 May 1933. A Hungarian film company had been inviting German directors to come to
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
to make films in simultaneous German/Hungarian versions, and given his uncertain career prospects under the new German regime Wiene took up that offer in September to direct "One Night in Venice" (1934). Wiene went later to London, and finally to Paris where together with
Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
he tried to produce a sound remake of ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari''. Wiene never returned to Germany, although the reason is unclear. He had no connection to left-wing politics, and had collaborated with Nazi favorite
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
on "Der Rosenkavalier" in 1925. Although one German obituary identified him as a Jew, he had identified himself as a Protestant in Viennese university and residence records from 1894 through 1925. In addition, Wiene had adapted from a novel and directed the 1923 silent religious film '' I.N.R.I.'', depicting in a conventional way the events preceding the
crucifixion of Christ The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and considere ...
. Wiene died in Paris ten days before the end of production of a spy film, ''
Ultimatum An ultimatum (; ) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series o ...
'', after having suffered from
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. The film was finished by Wiene's friend
Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (19 ...
.


Selected filmography

Only about 20 of the more than 90 movies in which Robert Wiene collaborated still exist:Uli Jung, Walter Schatzberg: ''Beyond Caligari – The Films of Robert Wiene.'' Berghahn Books, p. vi.


Director

* 1912 '' Die Waffen der Jugend (The Weapons of Youth)'' * 1914 ''Er rechts, sie links ( He This Way, She That Way)'' * 1915 ''Die Konservenbraut ( The Canned Bride)'' * 1915 ''Der springende Hirsch oder Die Diebe von Günsterburg (The Leaping Stag)'' (directed together with Walter Turszinsky) * 1916 ''Höhen und Tiefen (Highs and Lows)'' * 1916 ''
Frau Eva ''Frau Eva '' is a 1916 Cinema of Germany, German silent film, silent drama film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Erna Morena, Emil Jannings and Theodor Loos. It was based on the 1874 novel ''Fromont and Risler'' by Alphonse Daudet. The film ...
(Mrs. Eva)'' * 1916 ''Der Liebesbrief der Königin (
The Queen's Love Letter ''The Queen's Love Letter'' (German: ''Der Liebesbrief der Königin'') is a 1916 German silent comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Henny Porten, Arthur Schröder and Rudolf Biebrach. Its story is unconnected with Wiene's film ''The ...
)'' * 1916 ''Der Sekretär der Königin (
The Queen's Secretary ''The Queen's Secretary'' (German: ''Der Sekretär der Königin'') is a 1916 German silent comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Käthe Dorsch, Ressel Orla and Margarete Kupfer. A young Queen secretly marries the commander of her bod ...
)'' * 1916 ''Das wandernde Licht (
The Wandering Light ''The Wandering Light'' (German: ''Das wandernde Licht'') is a 1916 Cinema of Germany, German silent film, silent drama film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Henny Porten, Bruno Decarli and Theodor Becker (actor), Theodor Becker. It was based ...
)'' * 1916 ''Die Räuberbraut (
The Robber Bride ''The Robber Bride'' is a Margaret Atwood novel first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1993. Plot summary Set in present-day Toronto, Ontario, the novel is about three women and their history with old friend and nemesis, Zenia. Roz, Cha ...
)'' * 1916 ''Der Mann im Spiegel ( The Man in the Mirror)'' * 1916 ''Lehmanns Brautfahrt (
Lehmann's Honeymoon ''Lehmann's Honeymoon'' (German: ''Lehmanns Brautfahrt'') is a 1916 German silent comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Guido Herzfeld, Christel Lorenz, and Arnold Rieck. In order to persuade a daydreaming Professor of Greek History ...
)'' * 1917 ''Das Leben ein Traum ( Life Is a Dream)'' * 1917 ''Der standhafte Benjamin ( Steadfast Benjamin)'' * 1917 ''Veilchen Nr. 4 (Violet no. 4)'' * 1917 ''Furcht (
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
)'' * 1920 ''Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari ( The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)'' * 1920 ''Die drei Tänze der Mary Wilford ( The Three Dances of Mary Wilford)'' * 1920 '' Genuine (Genuine)'' * 1920 ''Die Nacht der Königin Isabeau (
The Night of Queen Isabeau ''The Night of Queen Isabeau'' (german: Die Nacht der Königin Isabeau) is a 1920 German silent historical drama film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Fern Andra, Fritz Kortner, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski and Elsa Wagner. The film dep ...
)'' * 1920 ''Der Schrecken im Hause Ardon (
Panic in the House of Ardon ''Panic in the House of Ardon'' (German: ''Der Schrecken im Hause Ardon'') is a 1920 German silent crime film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Stella Harf, Max Kronert and Paul Mederow. The film was finished by August 1920, but did not h ...
)'' * 1921 ''Die Rache einer Frau ( A Woman's Revenge)'' * 1922 ''Die höllische Macht (
The Infernal Power ''The Infernal Power'' (German: ''Die höllische Macht'') is a 1922 German silent film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Thea Kasten, Emil Lind and Ossip Runitsch. The film is now a lost film, and virtually nothing is known of its plot or ...
)'' * 1923 ''Raskolnikow ( Raskolnikow)'' * 1923 ''Der Puppenmacher von Kiang-Ning (
The Doll Maker of Kiang-Ning ''The Doll Maker of Kiang-Ning'' (german: Der Puppenmacher von Kiang-Ning) is a 1923 German silent fantasy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Werner Krauss, Lia Eibenschütz, and Ossip Runitsch. A doll maker in China crafts a puppet ...
)'' * 1923 '' I.N.R.I. (I.N.R.I.)'' * 1924 ''Orlac’s Hände (
The Hands of Orlac ''The Hands of Orlac'' may refer to: * ''Les Mains d'Orlac'', a novel by Maurice Renard and several adaptations of that novel: * The Hands of Orlac (1924 film), ''The Hands of Orlac'' (1924 film), an Austrian film * The Hands of Orlac (1935 film) ...
)'' * 1924 ''Pension Groonen ( Boarding House Groonen)'' * 1925 ''Der Leibgardist (= Der Gardeoffizier) (
The Guardsman ''The Guardsman'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film based on the play '' Testőr'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Roland Young and ZaSu Pitts. It opens with a stage re-enactment of the final scene of Maxwell Anderson's '' ...
)'' * 1926 ''Der Rosenkavalier (
Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...
)'' * 1926 ''Die Königin vom Moulin Rouge (
The Queen of Moulin Rouge ''The Queen of Moulin Rouge'' (German: ''Die Königin von Moulin Rouge'') is a 1926 Austrian silent film, silent comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Mady Christians, André Roanne and Livio Pavanelli. The film is based on the 1902 ...
)'' * 1927 ''Die Geliebte ( The Mistress)'' * 1927 ''Die berühmte Frau (
The Famous Woman ''The Famous Woman'' (German: ''Die berühmte Frau'') is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Lili Damita, Fred Solm and Warwick Ward. It was based on the play '' Die Tänzerin'' by Melchior Lengyel, who also ...
)'' * 1928 ''Die Frau auf der Folter (
The Woman on the Rack ''The Woman on the Rack'' (german: Die Frau auf der Folter) is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Lili Damita, Vladimir Gajdarov, and Johannes Riemann. It was also known by the alternative title ''A Scandal in ...
)'' * 1928 ''Leontines Ehemänner (Leontine's Husbands)'' * 1928 ''Die grosse Abenteuerin (
The Great Adventuress ''The Great Adventuress'' (german: Die große Abenteuerin) is a 1928 German silent comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Lili Damita, Georg Alexander, and Fred Solm. Much of the film's funding came from Britain. Location shooting t ...
)'' * 1928 ''Unfug der Liebe (
Folly of Love ''Folly of Love'' (German: ''Unfug der Liebe'') is a 1928 German silent comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Maria Jacobini, Jack Trevor and Betty Astor. While several of Wiene's previous films had met with mixed responses, ''Folly ...
)'' * 1930 ''Der Andere (
The Other In phenomenology, the terms the Other and the Constitutive Other identify the other human being, in their differences from the Self, as being a cumulative, constituting factor in the self-image of a person; as acknowledgement of being real; h ...
)'' * 1930 ''Le procureur Hallers (
The Prosecutor Hallers ''The Prosecutor Hallers'' (French: ''Le procureur Hallers'') is a 1930 French drama film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Jean-Max, Colette Darfeuil and Suzanne Delmas. It was the French-language version of the German film ''The Other'' ba ...
)'' * 1931 ''Nuits de Venise (co-director Pierre Billon)'' * 1931 ''Der Liebesexpress (
The Love Express ''The Love Express'' (german: Der Liebesexpreß) is a 1931 German musical comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Georg Alexander, Dina Gralla and Joseph Schmidt. No print of the film is known to survive, and it is therefore a lost ...
)'' * 1931 ''Panik in Chicago (
Panic in Chicago ''Panic in Chicago'' (german: Panik in Chicago) is a 1931 German crime film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Olga Tschechowa, Hans Rehmann and Ferdinand Hart. It was based on the novel ''Panic in Chicago'' by the German writer Robert Heyma ...
)'' * 1933 ''Polizeiakte 909 (= Taifun) (
Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
)'' * 1934 ''Eine Nacht in Venedig ( One Night in Venice)'' * 1938 ''Ultimatum (
Ultimatum An ultimatum (; ) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series o ...
)'' {finished after his death by
Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (19 ...
)


Writer

* ''
The Weapons of Youth ''The Weapons of Youth'' (German: ''Die Waffen der Jugend'') is a 1913 German silent film directed by Friedrich Müller and starring Gertrud Gräbner, Curt Maler and Hans Staufen. The screenplay was written by the Robert Wiene his first known ...
'' (1913) * ''
The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach ''The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach'' (German: ''Die Ehe der Luise Rohrbach'') is a 1917 German silent drama film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Emil Jannings and Ludwig Trautmann. The film was based on a novel by Emmi Elert ...
'' (1917) * '' Frank Hansen's Fortune'' (1917) * ''
Imprisoned Soul ''Imprisoned Soul'' (german: Gefangene Seele) is a German silent drama film of 1917 directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Paul Bildt, and Curt Goetz. A young woman, Violetta, falls under the hypnotic power of the villainous Baro ...
'' (1917) * ''
The Princess of Neutralia ''The Princess of Neutralia'' (German: ''Die Prinzessin von Neutralien'') is a 1917 German silent comedy film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Paul Bildt and Hermann Picha. Plot After a wealthy young woman rejects the prop ...
'' (1917) * ''
Countess Kitchenmaid ''Countess Kitchenmaid'' (German: ''Gräfin Küchenfee'') is a 1918 Cinema of Germany, German silent film, silent comedy film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Heinrich Schroth and Martin Lübbert. While her mistress is away on ...
'' (1918) * '' The Blue Lantern'' (1918) * ''
The Ringwall Family ''The Ringwall Family'' (German: ''Das Geschlecht derer von Ringwall'') is a 1918 German silent film, silent drama film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Bruno Decarli and Kurt Vespermann.Jung & Schatzberg p.202 The film's set ...
'' (1918) * ''
Put to the Test ''Put to the Test'' (German: ''Auf Probe gestellt'') is a 1918 German silent comedy film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Heinrich Schroth and Reinhold Schünzel.Jung & Schatzberg p.202 The film's sets were designed by th ...
'' (1918) * ''
Precious Stones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...
'' (1918) * '' The Lady, the Devil and the Model'' (1918) * ''
Agnes Arnau and Her Three Suitors ''Agnes Arnau and Her Three Suitors'' (german: Agnes Arnau und ihre drei Freier) is a 1918 German silent comedy film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Hermann Thimig and Kurt Ehrle.Jung & Schatzberg p. 202 The film's sets ...
'' (1918) * '' The Homecoming of Odysseus'' (1918) * ''
Her Sport ''Her Sport'' (German: ''Ihr Sport'') is a 1919 German silent comedy film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Georg H. Schnell and Hermann Thimig. A man-hating young woman tries to break up her friend's new marriage, but while ...
'' (1919) * '' The Man of Action'' (1919) * '' Victim of Society'' (1919) * ''
A Drive into the Blue ''A Drive into the Blue'' (German: ''Die Fahrt ins Blaue'') is a 1919 German silent comedy film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Georg Alexander, and Jakob Tiedtke.Bock & Bergfelder p.372 It was shot at the Tempelhof Stud ...
'' (1919) * '' The Living Dead'' (1919) * ''
Ruth's Two Husbands ''Ruth's Two Husbands'' (German: ''Die beiden Gatten der Frau Ruth'') is a 1919 German silent film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Curt Goetz and Meinhart Maur.Krautz p.105 The film's sets were designed by Kurt Dürnhöfe ...
'' (1919) * ''
Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...
'' (1920) * ''
Monika Vogelsang ''Monika Vogelsang'' is a 1920 German silent historical drama film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Paul Hartmann and Ernst Deutsch.Bock & Bergfelder p.372 The film's sets were designed by the art director Emil Hasle ...
'' (1920) * ''
The Adventure of Doctor Kircheisen ''The Adventure of Doctor Kircheisen'' (german: Das Abenteuer des Dr. Kircheisen) is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and stars Lotte Neumann, Hermann Thimig and Hans Marr. The script was by Robert Wiene, based on the ...
'' (1921) * ''
The Power of Darkness ''The Power of Darkness'' (russian: Власть тьмы, Vlast′ t′my) is a five- act drama by Leo Tolstoy. Written in 1886, the play's production was forbidden in Russia until 1902, mainly through the influence of Konstantin Pobedonostsev. I ...
'' (1924) * ''
The Guardsman ''The Guardsman'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film based on the play '' Testőr'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Roland Young and ZaSu Pitts. It opens with a stage re-enactment of the final scene of Maxwell Anderson's '' ...
'' (1925) * ''
Strauss Is Playing Today ''Strauss Is Playing Today'' (german: Heut' spielt der Strauss) is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Conrad Wiene and starring Alfred Abel, Hermine Sterler and Imre Ráday. The film was made at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin.Jung, Uli ...
'' (1928) * ''
Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
'' (1933)


Notes


References

* Jung, Uli & Schatzberg, Walter. ''Beyond Caligari: The Films of Robert Wiene''. Berghahn Books, 1999.


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wiene, Robert 1873 births 1938 deaths German film directors Film people from Wrocław Silent film directors Cinema pioneers Horror film directors Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to France Deaths from cancer in France