Curated Recommendations Seeking the Same Brilliance as Leontines Ehemänner: Cult Guide

Dir: Robert Wiene

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

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

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

Gerald, the head of a vaudeville troupe, has made a famous revue star out of the little dancer Sonja Litowskaja. Wherever she performs, the audience cheers her. The old Duke of Olivarez, who has a sincere friendship with Gerald, immediately recognizes that he and Sonja have more in common than just professional cooperation. No doubt: Gerald is in love with the famous woman. When the troupe makes another guest appearance in Barcelona, the aristocratic gentleman advises Gerald to finally reveal himself to Sonja. The vaudeville director decides to follow his old friend's advice and confess his love to Sonja, but a stupid coincidence prevents him from doing so. On this very evening Sonja meets the passionate and seductive Alfredo de Cavalcante, who awakens in her all the feelings that had been hidden in her until then.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Die berühmte Frau perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

The film centres on the rivalry between two competing aviation firms, one British and the other French. While in London, the head of the French firm falls in love with a young woman who turns out to be the daughter of his British rival.

Dir: Robert Wiene

"A Woman's Revenge" - In order to punish her cold, brutal aristocratic husband for murdering her lover, a woman becomes a common prostitute to shame him.

Dir: Robert Wiene

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Die große Abenteuerin perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

Dir: Robert Wiene

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

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Die Rache einer Frau 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

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

Genuine is an ancient and cruel divinity, who seduces men and induce them to kill as a proof of love.