The black dream
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The black dream |
| Original title | The variety drøm |
| Country of production | Denmark |
| original language | Danish |
| Publishing year | 1911 |
| length | 56 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Urban Gad |
| script | Urban Gad |
| production | Photorama |
| camera |
Adam Johansen , Guido Seeber |
| occupation | |
| |
The black dream , German subtitle A Mimodrama or A Tragedy from Circus Life , is a Danish silent film drama by Urban Gad from 1911.
action
The bareback rider Stella is received after a show in the circus of two suitors: While the homage of the jeweler rejects Adolf Hirsch, she immediately finds favor to Count Johann von Waldberg. Both become a couple. A little later, Adolf Hirsch appears next to Johann for a celebration. He tries to approach Stella in an adjoining room, who is resisting. Johann who joins them knocks Adolf down. Shortly afterwards, both of them settle the dispute at the gaming table. When playing cards, Johann loses all games and in the end owes Adolf 85,000 marks, which he is supposed to pay within 24 hours. He and Stella are desperate.
While the exhausted Stella soon falls asleep, Johann gets a revolver to kill himself, but does not implement it. He returns to Stella, but fends off her attempts to hug him. Nevertheless, Stella discovers the revolver, which she takes. Shortly beforehand she had received a letter from Adolf in which the amorous jeweler offered her a piece of jewelry of her choice. Knowing about Johann's need, she writes to him that she wants to give him a valuable necklace from her possession, which he should sell and thus pay off his debts. She goes to Adolf, has various necklaces presented to her and finally he looks for a small brooch for her. Meanwhile, she steals one of the chains and is observed by Adolf in a mirror. After Stella gave Johann the necklace and he disappeared, Adolf surprises her and confronts her with her theft. He forces her to meet with him after midnight and she agrees inevitably. Johann meanwhile sells the chain to the jeweler Meyer and Adolf buys it back a short time later. The jeweler issues him a letter in which he confirms the theft of the count and the repurchase by Adolf.
Meanwhile, Stella is getting ready for the evening with Adolf and Johann, who doesn't know who she's making himself beautiful for, reacts jealously. When Stella leaves, Johann searches her bag and finds Adolf's note with the appointment and his pistol in it. He goes to Stella. Meanwhile, she has had dinner with Adolf and is now trying to fend off his intrusive advances. Johann appears and shoots Stella. The dying woman hands him the letter from the jeweler in which the theft is recorded. Adolf has now noted below that it was all just a misunderstanding. Johann collapses over the dying Stella.
production
The black dream was one of four films that Asta Nielsen made in Denmark. After her film debut abyss in 1910 and the unexpected success of the film she was initially from the Bioscop been brought to Germany, where with moths and Hot blood came up in May 1911 two films. Although the Bioscop signaled interest in a further collaboration with Asta Nielsen, she went back to Denmark in the summer months, where she first shot the film The Black Dream for Fotorama and then for the Nordisk ballet dancer . The contract with Nordisk, which Nielsen had already signed for 1912, was never fulfilled, however, as businessman Christoph Mülleneisen signed Nielsen for further films in Germany in June 1911 and in return accepted the contractual penalty of 10,000 crowns .
On August 15, 1911, the censors banned the black dream with a youth ban. The film had its German premiere on August 19, 1911 and was released in Danish cinemas on September 4, 1911. It was not until 1919 that Asta Nielsen made her fourth and last Danish film with Der Fackelträger .
The Black Dream and the three other Danish silent films in which Asta Nielsen played a role were released in 2005 as part of the Danske Stumfilmklassikere series in restored form and with new musical accompaniment on DVD.
criticism
Contemporary advertisements for the film celebrated Asta Nielsen's portrayal of the art rider with euphoria: "Asta Nielsen, the artist of such ingenious talent and tremendous ability, celebrated in the circus tragedy 'The Black Dream', the dramatically most valuable of all light art games to date, her highest triumph as the ' Duse of cinema art' ”, wrote the Vorwärts in an announcement of the film in the Union Theater Berlin.
The cinematographer wrote that on the occasion of a special screening in the Union Theater in Berlin, the film “not only aroused understandable interest but also great enthusiasm and sensation. The noble execution of the literary story and the photographically impeccable technique, which made this monopoly film a very unusual hit, were praised. "
Web links
- The black dream in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The black dream at filmportal.de