The wandering picture

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Movie
Original title The wandering picture
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1920
length 67 minutes
Rod
Director Fritz Lang
script Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou
production Joe May
camera Guido Seeber
occupation

The Wandering Image is a German feature film by Fritz Lang that premiered on December 25, 1920 in Berlin . It belongs to the drama genre and was created in Bavaria at the Königssee and at the foot of the Watzmann . The restored version has a playing time of 67 minutes and is 2032 m long.

action

1st act

Irmgard Vanderheit is on the run from her husband John Vanderheit. On the shores of Lake Maggiore, she meets Wil Brand, who helps her to get across the lake quickly and secretly in a boat. Through him she learns later that she only has a small lead over her husband. The only way out is to cross the Alps, which she has to do despite the bad weather. On an alpine meadow she notices a hermit's hut, to whom she explains that she is looking for a way out of misery. However, he replies that "no one can show a path that he does not know".

2nd act

Irmgard has reached a high alpine pasture where, due to the fog, she is again advised against the mountain hike. The hermit, too, is afraid for her and decides to follow Irmgard. Finally he catches up with them, but bad weather prevents them from fleeing again. The two want to wait for better weather in a refuge. However, they are trapped in the hut by a rockslide caused by John Vanderheit. Suddenly Irmgard recognizes Georg Vanderheit, the twin brother of her husband John, in the hermit.

3rd act

In retrospect, it is described how Irmgard and Georg got to know each other: A relationship between boss and secretary becomes a relationship with feelings that both have for each other. Since Georg is a declared opponent of marriage in its current form, he does not allow Irmgard to convince him to enter into the marriage for the benefit of their child. So Irmgard secretly marries her brother-in-law John Vanderheit - but the entry in the church register is in Georg's name. But when her real lover finds out about it, he loses confidence in Irmgard and fakes suicide. In front of a statue of the Madonna, he swears that he will only return to the world when it begins to change.

Now Irmgard tells her story: When the will is opened, she realizes that Georg found out about her secret marriage and thinks that she thereby caused his suicide. Now Irmgard is accused by John of having made him a lawbreaker, leading to daily threats. When he finally claims that she is insane, Irmgard decides to flee. At this point the film begins.

4th act

Georg and Irmgard are freed from the buried hut by a rescue team led by Wil Brand. Shortly afterwards, John attacks her again, but he falls down a rock and dies. A little later his wife and brother reach the Madonna, in front of whom Georg once swore his oath. This also forbids him to start a new life. Now Wil Brand joins, to whom Irmgard is entrusted. Georg would like to continue his life as a hermit.

5th act

Irmgard lets her mother and child come to the mountains. Shortly after their arrival, Wil Brand reveals himself to be Georg's cousin in a conversation with her and woos her hand because he would have become the sole heir of his property if the declared opponent had not married her. Now both Irmgard and Georg are faced with a difficult decision. Irmgard doesn't know whether she should accept Wil Brand's offer and Georg wonders whether he can leave the sad woman to herself. He begs the statue to release him from his vow. That same night, a thunderstorm breaks out in the mountains and lightning uproots a tree that rolls down the slope and carries the Madonna with it. When Georg notices that the statue is no longer there, he immediately begins his march into the valley. At the same time, Irmgard informs Wil that she rejects his offer; but she leaves him the inheritance due to him. Now Georg arrives and together with Irmgard he goes back to the mountains, where they can live “united by pure, true love”.

literature

  • Thomas Koebner , Norbert Grob, Bernd Kiefer: In the age of fear. Fritz Lang and his films; Reconsideration of a complete work . Schüren-Verlag, Marburg 2001 (= film-dienst EDITION. 3), ISBN 978-3-89472-367-5 .

Web links