Robert Wiene
Encyclopedia
Robert Wiene was an important film director
of the German
silent cinema.
Robert Wiene was born in Breslau, as the elder son of the successful theatre
actor Carl Wiene. His younger brother Conrad
also became an actor, but Robert Wiene at first studied law at the University of Berlin. In 1908 he also started to act, at first in small parts on stage. His first involvement with film was in 1912, writing and directing Die Waffen der Jugend.
His most memorable feature films are the 1920
horror film
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Raskolnikow
(1923), an adaptation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment
, both of which had a deep influence on the German cinema of that time.
After Hitler took power in Germany, Wiene left Berlin
, and went first to Budapest
, where he directed One Night in Venice (1934), later to London, and finally to Paris where together with Jean Cocteau
he tried to produce a sound remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Wiene died in Paris ten days before the end of production of a spy film, Ultimatum
, after having suffered from cancer
. The film was finished by Wiene's friend Robert Siodmak
.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
silent cinema.
Robert Wiene was born in Breslau, as the elder son of the successful theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
actor Carl Wiene. His younger brother Conrad
Conrad Wiene
Conrad Wiene was an actor, screenwriter, film producer and director of Austrian and German silent film. He was a younger brother of the famous German film director Robert Wiene Conrad Wiene (born February 3, 1878; d. after 1933, exact date of death unknown) was an actor, screenwriter, film...
also became an actor, but Robert Wiene at first studied law at the University of Berlin. In 1908 he also started to act, at first in small parts on stage. His first involvement with film was in 1912, writing and directing Die Waffen der Jugend.
His most memorable feature films are the 1920
1920 in film
The year 1920 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 27 - The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks opens.-Top grossing films :-Films released in 1920:U.S.A. unless stated*The $1,000,000 Reward...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Raskolnikow
Raskolnikow (film)
Raskolnikow is a 1923 drama film directed by Robert Wiene The film is based on the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.-Cast:* Gregori Chmara as Rodion Raskolnikow* Elisabeta Skulskaja as His mother* Mikhail Tarkhanov as Marmeladow...
(1923), an adaptation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume. This is the second of Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his...
, both of which had a deep influence on the German cinema of that time.
After Hitler took power in Germany, Wiene left Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and went first to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, where he directed One Night in Venice (1934), later to London, and finally to Paris where together with Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
he tried to produce a sound remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Wiene died in Paris ten days before the end of production of a spy film, Ultimatum
Ultimatum (film)
Ultimatum is a Christian documentary film directed by Daniel Knudsen. It was released to DVD on April 2, 2010. The film, an overview of the events of the Bible, was produced by Crystal Creek Media. The film is partially computer-animated.- Plot :...
, after having suffered from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. The film was finished by Wiene's friend Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak was a German born American film director. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for the series of Hollywood film noirs he made in the 1940s.-Early life:...
.
Filmography
Selected:- 1919 (released in 1920) The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariThe Cabinet of Dr. CaligariThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920 silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene from a screenplay by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. It is one of the most influential of German Expressionist films and is often considered one of the greatest horror movies of the silent era. This movie is cited as...
- 1920 GenuineGenuine (film)Genuine is a 1920 silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene. It was also released as Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire....
- 1921 Die Rache einer Frau
- 1923 RaskolnikowRaskolnikow (film)Raskolnikow is a 1923 drama film directed by Robert Wiene The film is based on the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.-Cast:* Gregori Chmara as Rodion Raskolnikow* Elisabeta Skulskaja as His mother* Mikhail Tarkhanov as Marmeladow...
- 1923 I.N.R.I.
- 1924 Orlacs Hände
- 1925 Der RosenkavalierDer RosenkavalierDer Rosenkavalier 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 by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
- 1930 Der AndereDer Andere- Plot :Staatsanwalt Hallers, a highly feared prosecuting attorney, leads a double life, moonlighting as a criminal. Analie Frieben finds out about his secret, but because of her unsavoury past she is in no position to betray it. Hallers' own ego eventually proves his downfall....
- 1931 Der Liebesexpress
- 1934 One Night in Venice
- 1938 Ultimatum