Robert Wiene (; 27 April 1873 – 17 July 1938) was a German

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

and producer, active during the

silent era A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. He is widely-known for directing the landmark 1920 film ''

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' () is a 1920 German silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. The quintessential work of early German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypno ...

'' 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 (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

rise to power in Germany, Wiene, who was of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

descent, fled into exile.

Biography

Early life

Robert Wiene was born in Breslau, in the German

Province of Silesia The Province of Silesia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1742 and established as an official province in 1815, then became part of the German Empire in 1871. In 1919, as ...

(now the city of

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

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 to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

actor Karl Wiene. His younger brother Conrad also became an actor. Wiene spent his childhood in various cities throughout Central and Western Europe, including

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

and

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. Prior to his directing career, Wiene at studied law at the

University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

and, from 1895, at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

. He practiced law in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

until 1908, when he moved back to Vienna to manage a theatre company. During this time, he also acted, in small parts on the stage.

Career in Austria and Germany

His first involvement with film was in 1912, writing and (possibly) directing ''

Die Waffen der Jugend ''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 ...

''. In 1919, he co-founded with

Heinz Hanus Heinz Hanus (24 May 1882 – 16 March 1972) was an Austrian actor and film director. He directed 21 films between 1908 and 1929. His younger brother was actor and film director Emmerich Hanus Emmerich Hanus (24 August 1884 – 20 Nov ...

the Filmbund (Film Union), a professional association of Austrian filmmakers and one of the first organizations of its kind in Europe. His most memorable feature films are the

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

'' (1920) and '' Raskolnikow'' (1923), an adaptation of

Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influenti ...

's ''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in the literary journal '' The Russian Messenger'' in twelve monthly installments during 1866.

'', 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 city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

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, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

he tried to produce a sound remake of ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari''. Wiene never returned to Germany, although the reason is unclear. 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 of Jesus was the death of Jesus by being nailed to a cross.The instrument of crucifixion is taken to be an upright wooden beam to which was added a transverse wooden beam, thus forming a "cruciform" or T-shaped structure. ...

. Wiene died in Paris ten days before the end of production of a spy film, ''

Ultimatum An ; ; : ultimata or ultimatums) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a coercion, threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the ...

'', after having suffered from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. The film was finished by Wiene's friend

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German Jewish film director. His career spanned some 40 years, working extensively in the United States and France, as well as in his native country. Though he worked in many genres, he was ...

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 ''

(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 (Mrs. Eva)'' * 1916 ''Der Liebesbrief der Königin ( The Queen's Love Letter)'' * 1916 ''Der Sekretär der Königin ( The Queen's Secretary)'' * 1916 ''Das wandernde Licht ( The Wandering Light)'' * 1916 ''Die Räuberbraut ( The Robber Bride)'' * 1916 ''Der Mann im Spiegel ( The Man in the Mirror)'' * 1916 ''Lehmanns Brautfahrt ( Lehmann's Honeymoon)'' * 1917 ''Das Leben ein Traum ( Life Is a Dream)'' * 1917 ''Der standhafte Benjamin ( Steadfast Benjamin)'' * 1917 ''Veilchen Nr. 4 (Violet no. 4)'' * 1917 (''

Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...

'') * 1920 (''

'') * 1920 ('' The Three Dances of Mary Wilford'') * 1920 '' Genuine (Genuine)'' * 1920 ''Die Nacht der Königin Isabeau ( The Night of Queen Isabeau)'' * 1920 ''Der Schrecken im Hause Ardon ( Panic in the House of Ardon)'' * 1921 ''Die Rache einer Frau ( A Woman's Revenge)'' * 1922 ''Die höllische Macht ( The Infernal Power)'' * 1923 ''Raskolnikow ( Raskolnikow)'' * 1923 ''Der Puppenmacher von Kiang-Ning ( The Doll Maker of Kiang-Ning)'' * 1923 '' I.N.R.I. (I.N.R.I.)'' * 1924 ('' The Hands of Orlac'') * 1924 ''Pension Groonen ( Boarding House Groonen)'' * 1925 ''Der Leibgardist (= Der Gardeoffizier) ( The Guardsman)'' * 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 Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...

)'' * 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 comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Mady Christians, André Roanne and Livio Pavanelli. The film is based on the 1902 play ' by ...

)'' * 1927 ''Die Geliebte ( The Mistress)'' * 1927 ''Die berühmte Frau ( The Famous Woman)'' * 1928 ''Die Frau auf der Folter ( The Woman on the Rack)'' * 1928 ''Leontines Ehemänner (Leontine's Husbands)'' * 1928 ''Die grosse Abenteuerin ( The Great Adventuress)'' * 1928 ''Unfug der Liebe ( Folly of Love)'' * 1930 ''Der Andere ( The Other)'' * 1930 ''Le procureur Hallers ( The Prosecutor Hallers)'' * 1931 ''Nuits de Venise (co-director Pierre Billon)'' * 1931 ''Der Liebesexpress ( The Love Express)'' * 1931 ''Panik in Chicago ( Panic in Chicago)'' * 1933 ''Polizeiakte 909 (= Taifun) (

Typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...

)'' * 1934 ''Eine Nacht in Venedig ( One Night in Venice)'' * 1938 ''Ultimatum (

)'' (finished after his death by

)

Writer

* '' The Weapons of Youth'' (1913) * '' The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach'' (1917) * '' Frank Hansen's Fortune'' (1917) * ''

Imprisoned Soul ''Imprisoned Soul'' () 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 Baron von Groot. A young ph ...

'' (1917) * '' The Princess of Neutralia'' (1917) * '' Countess Kitchenmaid'' (1918) * '' The Blue Lantern'' (1918) * '' The Ringwall Family'' (1918) * '' Put to the Test'' (1918) * ''

Precious Stones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...

'' (1918) * '' The Lady, the Devil and the Model'' (1918) * '' Agnes Arnau and Her Three Suitors'' (1918) * '' The Homecoming of Odysseus'' (1918) * '' Her Sport'' (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 S ...

'' (1919) * '' The Living Dead'' (1919) * '' Ruth's Two Husbands'' (1919) * ''

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of electricity, and insol ...

'' (1920) * '' Monika Vogelsang'' (1920) * '' The Adventure of Doctor Kircheisen'' (1921) * ''

The Power of Darkness ''The Power of Darkness'' (, Vlast′ t′my) is a five- act drama by Leo Tolstoy. Written in 1886, the play's production was banned in Russia until 1902, mainly through the influence of Konstantin Pobedonostsev. In spite of the ban, the play wa ...

'' (1924) * '' The Guardsman'' (1925) * '' Strauss Is Playing Today'' (1928) * ''

'' (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 German film producers German screenwriters German actors German expatriates in Austria German expatriates in France German expatriates in Hungary Film people from Wrocław German silent film directors German cinema pioneers German horror film directors Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to France Deaths from cancer in France Jewish film people