The Definitive Guide Inspired by the Vision of Fear: Cult Guide

Dir: Robert Wiene

Leontine, a French dancer who likes "the good life", has come up with an ingenious solution to her financial problems--whenever she's broke, she marries a man with money. However, her latest husband, the Marquis Verrac, is wealthy but boring, and soon Leontine tires of life in his castle and yearns to get back to the fun and good times she had before she married.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Knight of the Rose perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

While her husband illustrated himself in the war, the Maréchale de Werdenberg took comfort in the arms of the young Octavian and tried to arrange the affairs of his cousin, the Baron Ochs, by introducing him to a young girl.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A world-famous pianist loses both hands in an accident. When new hands are grafted on, he doesn't know they once belonged to a murderer.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Hands of Orlac perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.

Dir: Robert Wiene

The young bride Anna von Glassner receives mysterious letters shortly before her wedding with Count von Fahrenwald. The Count is said to be insane.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

By the director of Cabinet of Dr.Caligari, this is the Passion embedded in a contemporary story. An anarchist jailed for an attempted assassination is told the Passion story by the prison chaplain, who seeks to convince him that it is better to sacrifice ones own life than take the life of ones enemy. The framing story, taken from a novel, is believed to have been intended to give the Biblical story an anti-Bolshevist propaganda function. In any case, it was added without the knowledge of the actors in the Passion story, who included some of the major stars of the period Asta Nielsen as Mary Magdalene, Henny Porten as Mary, Grigori Chmara as Jesus, and Werner Krauss as Pontius Pilate -bampfa.berkeley.edu

Dir: Robert Wiene

Musical about a girl typist who leaves Berlin for Venice after winning a contest. A rich bachelor pretending to be poor takes a job with her and competes for her affections with a count and a tenor.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Das wandernde Licht perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A student murders a loan shark and her sister after writing about exceptional people's right to commit crimes. He meets prostitute Sonja while on the run, clashes with his sister's fiancé, and learns of Sonja's connection.

Dir: Robert Wiene

Chicago gangsters use cunning and a series of false identities in a violent battle for dominance, all while attempting to dodge the police.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.