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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: Germany
A Deep Dive into the 1918 Vision of Richard Oswald
As a cultural artifact of the 1918s, Es werde Licht! 2. Teil provides the global recognition that Richard Oswald garnered after the release of Es werde Licht! 2. Teil. Elevating the source material through Richard Oswald's unique vision, it solidifies Richard Oswald's reputation as a master of the craft.
In Es werde Licht! 2. Teil, Richard Oswald pushes the boundaries of conventional narrative. The film's unique approach to its subject matter has sparked endless debates and interpretations among cinephiles and critics alike.
| Cinematography | Noir-Inspired |
| Soundtrack | Experimental |
| Editing | Invisible |
| Art Direction | Kitsch |
Visualizing the convergence of Richard Oswald's style and the core cult narrative.
The second syphilis film poses the moral question: namely how far an illness should be considered a human disgrace. The protagonist of this story, a young doctor, believes that only characterless people can contract the disease through reprehensible actions. At a meeting in honor of a venereologist, a violent dispute erupts between the doctor who applies moral categories and a colleague who argues more objectively. Two events make the dogmatic young doctor think: his sister marries a syphilitic who has not yet been completely healed, and he himself falls ill as a result of a kiss from a young woman who also suffers from syphilis. But the doctor is healed and reconsiders his previous attitude.
Decades after its release, Es werde Licht! 2. Teil remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Richard Oswald's status as a master of the craft in Germany and beyond.