Icarus (1916)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Icarus |
| Original title | Vingarne |
 | |
| Country of production | Sweden |
| original language | Swedish |
| Publishing year | 1916 |
| length | 69 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Mauritz Stiller |
| script |
Axel Esbensen Mauritz Stiller based on the novel Mikael by Herman Bang |
| production | Svenska biograft theater |
| camera | J. Julius |
| occupation | |
|
Framework story :
“Icarus” :
| |
Ikarus is a Swedish silent film drama from 1916 directed by Mauritz Stiller with Lars Hanson in the lead role.
action
foreplay
The film begins with a framework story centered around a director, played by Stiller, and a young man, played by the debutant Nils Asther. In the face of an Icarus statue by the artist Carl Milles , the director has an idea for a film based on the legend of Icarus and Daedalus . Stiller ponders for a long time who he could fill for the youthful Icarus and tries it with the still inexperienced young mime Asther. But Stiller soon realizes that the young, impetuous man doesn't seem up to the role yet and decides in favor of the more established and experienced mimes Lars Hanson. After the film is completed, it will be premiered in a selected movie theater, in which Hanson, Asther and the female lead actress Lily Beck also take part. The curtain divides, then the film begins:
Icarus
The sculptor Claude Zoret remembers the ancient Greek saga and decides to create an Icarus sculpture that is to be named “Vingarne”, meaning “the wings”. While walking, Zoret meets the young painter Eugene Mikael, who is busy with his art. Zoret sees in him the ideal template for his Icarus and speaks to him. He promises the young painter that he will support him in the coming years if he agrees to model for him. Four years have passed since then and the sculptor has even adopted the young painter. Zoret had the finished Icarus statue cast in bronze and gave it to Mikael as a present. One day, Princess Lucia de Zamikow, notorious for her extravagance and extravagance, appears in the artist's studio and wants to be portrayed. Mikael is fascinated from the beginning by the beauty of the coveted lady of the world.
From now on Mikael loses all measure. He gives himself up to this woman with skin and hair and throws all his money out for her with full hands, just to pay homage to the beautiful woman. Zoret knows nothing about the amorous as well as costly attacks of his former pupil and is only informed about the dramatic events through a friend, Charles Schwitt. It doesn't take long before Mikael, who will soon no longer be able to afford this expensive lifestyle, starts pumping Zoret for money, especially since the princess, who is no longer creditworthy, is bankrupt herself and urgently needs fresh money. Zoret sends Mikael the requested amount in an envelope through a servant, about which Mikael, who feels like a supplicant, is angry and rejects this gift. Instead, he sells the Icarus statue, once a personal gift from his foster father that he was never allowed to sell, to an art dealer. He doesn't stick to the agreement that the good piece will only be offered for sale himself after five years.
For Claude Zoret, selling the Icarus sculpture is like a stab in the heart; he fears that he has lost his foster son to the princely, insatiable serpent Zamikow. But she reacts coldly and condescendingly: "You have gotten old, Claude Zoret, you have forgotten everything and you know nothing about love!" This reaction hits the old man to the core and throws him on the sickbed the next morning. Zoret still has the strength to appoint Mikael as his sole heir. Meanwhile, Schwitt writes to Mikael to inform him that Zoret is coming to an end. Plagued by feverish fantasies, he gets up with the last of his strength, drags himself into the garden and collapses in front of his masterpiece. When Mikael rushes over, it is already too late: his foster father, who always gave him a helping hand, is dead. Only now does he realize where his passion has driven him, that he, like Icarus, plunged into the abyss when he closed himself up dared to go high. When his dear lover Lucia tries to comfort him, he pushes her away. Mikael now knows that he must and will break away from the egocentric princess.
Aftermath
This is where the actual film ends. The viewer Asther stands up and explains, still completely dazed by the filmic events, that he cannot understand how Mikael was able to push this beautiful woman back. His colleague Lily, who played Princess Zamikow, walks up to him, smiles at him, and they both leave the movie theater. The next day the young mime appears at Lily Beck's house and explains to the gracious diva how deeply he admires her, her beauty and her art. He sinks deeper and deeper into the role of Mikael. His pledges of love take on a threatening touch when he pulls out a revolver with which he wants to kill himself if Lily doesn’t obey his love vows. However, the actress can barely steal the pistol from him and quickly goes into the next room. Accompanied by Mr. Eide, the actor who played the unfortunate Zoret, who also wanted to pay his respects to the colleague this morning, she returns to the salon, where the young asther has calmed down in the meantime. She hands him back his revolver, and with the expression of deep embarrassment, the young "Icarus", whose fall has just barely been prevented, hurls him away and hastily leaves the room. Lily Beck and Egil Eide look after him, knowing and smiling with great indulgence. "Yes, the youth ... and thank God that this film is finally over" are the last words.
Production notes
Ikarus was filmed in and around Stockholm (Lidingö, Lärkstaden, Röda Kvarn). The four-stroke started on September 4, 1916 and was shown at the end of the same year or in 1917 in both Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Stiller's regular film architect Axel Esbensen not only created the film structures, but was also involved in the creation of the script. The 19-year-old acting novice Nils Asther (see photo above), who is involved in the framework story, made his film debut here.
Of the almost seventy-minute original, only about half an hour has been preserved, as the restoration in 1987 showed.
“Vingarne” is the Swedish word for “wing”.
criticism
“A very peculiar and new idea is to precede the plot with those moments that gave rise to the film in the spirit of the director, as well as to include an episode that leads us into the home of actress Lily Beck and us out of her life and brings something personal to that of the other participating artists. The plot of the actual drama is linked to the ancient legend of the young man Icarus, to whom his father, the great master Daedalus, gave wings that were supposed to carry him out of captivity to the blissful realms of his homeland. [...] The symbolic thought that is expressed in the plot, furthermore a wonderful direction that is at a truly artistic high point, and the brilliant play of the actors, among whom Lily Beck, Lars Hanson and Egil Eide are particularly noteworthy, express this beautiful Form the stamp of a peculiar and strange creation, which we are extremely satisfied and pleasing in every respect. "
Paimann's film lists summed up: “Material, photos and scenery are very good, the game is great. (Especially for a fine audience). "
Web links
- Icarus in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Ikarus at The German Early Cinema Database
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kinematograpische Rundschau of October 29, 1916, p. 208
- ↑ Ikarus ( Memento of the original from March 25, 2016 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. In: Paimann's film lists
