Countess Walewska
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Countess Walewska |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1920 |
| length | 82 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Otto Rippert |
| script |
Willy Rath Paul Georg |
| production | Heinz Paul for Terra-Film AG |
| camera | Max Lutze |
| occupation | |
| |
Countess Walewska is a German silent drama by Otto Rippert from 1920. Hella Moja plays the title role as a woman between two men.
action
The story takes place during the Napoleonic campaign in the east. During his conquest of Warsaw in 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte met the young Maria Laczinska , who, thanks to her marriage to the much older and unsightly Count Walewski - a tactically clever arrangement of her mother - was allowed to call herself Countess Walewska. While the Walewska welcomes high hopes in Napoleon as the liberator of Poland from the Russian yoke, the small, big Corsican sees the beautiful Pole as just another female conquest. Countess Walewska is not at all interested in that, as she has no emotional or even erotic feelings towards Napoleon. The ardent patriot is all the more disappointed when Napoleon, as on his campaigns, is primarily daring and does not seem to show any interest in her political cause. For purely tactical reasons, however, Polish aristocrats urge their co-conspirators to become the maitresse of the powerful French. Only he had the power, according to their calculation, to resurrect Poland as a nation.
Maria Walewska reluctantly gives in. But in reality the Polish woman has been in love with the Emperor's adjutant, Count d'Evians, for some time. This now enrages Napoleon when he learns about it, because he is not used to being rejected. And so he sends the annoying (and more attractive) rival on a mission to Breslau. Adjutant d'Evians pretends to obey, but instead disguises himself and sits down in the nearby castle of Frau Czytkowska to go into hiding and wait for Maria Walewska. This lady, in turn, tries to help Napoleon, who shows no interest in Mrs. Czytkowska because he is completely fixated on the Walewska. After all, Napoleon can drag Walewska to his bed after the countess knew how to maintain her virtue for a long time.
Meanwhile, Frau von Czytkowska has found out d'Evians' secret of his hiding place and is now trying to use this knowledge to the detriment of her worst competitor for Napoleon's favor, Countess Walewska. When the Walewska is invited to a rendezvous with the French Emperor in a remote country house, the Czytkowska ensures that her rival receives a farewell letter from d'Evians. At the same time, she arranged for Walewska's jack of hearts d'Evians to be very close by. D'Evians kidnaps his great love who, however, feels deeply affected by his farewell letter. Napoleon learns of the story through his body mamelukes and has his rival pursued by his men. Only in his hands does Napoleon suddenly impose the death penalty on d'Evians. Immediately before his upcoming fusilation, Countess Walewska achieved d'Evians' release after showing Napoleon the forged letter from Czytkowska. She also tells the Corsican emperor that she is expecting a child from him.
Production notes
Countess Walewska was made in mid-1920. The film was censored on November 30, 1920 and premiered on December 2, 1920 at the Scala in Berlin. In Austria, the strip started in August 1921.
The film structures come from Ernst Stern .
criticism
Paimann's film lists summed up: “The material was very dramatic, the game, scenery and photos were excellent. A hit. "
The theater actress and mother-in-law of Thomas Mann , Hedwig Pringsheim , was far less enthusiastic about this film and found that Countess Walewska was one of the reasons why she disapproved of modern film ("... which only increased my deep aversion to modern films ...") .
See also
- Maria Walewska (Conquest) , American film (1937) directed by Clarence Brown with Greta Garbo in the title role
Web links
- Countess Walewska in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Countess Walewska at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Countess Walewska in Paimann's film lists ( memento of the original from January 1, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Pringsheim diary entry from December 2, 1920
