List of films about Friedrich II. (Prussia)

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This list of films about Frederick II (Prussia) includes feature films, television series, and documentaries that deal with the life of Frederick the Great .

Films about the Prussian monarch had a heyday, especially during the Weimar Republic and National Socialism . But the Prussian king was also an issue during the imperial era and the division of Germany. In doing so, Frederick's image was often adapted to the political ideals.

Among the directors who took on the subject were Arzén von Cserépy , Helmut Käutner , Gerhard Lamprecht , Carl Froelich , Hans Steinhoff , Veit Harlan , Gernot Roll and Fritz Umgelter . Otto Fee stands out among the actors of the Prussian King . He played the role in twelve feature film productions and also appeared in this role in various commercials in front of the camera. The role made him one of the most famous film actors of his time in Germany.

subjects

Friedrich's youth In the first two films of the Fridericus Rex series from 1922, in The Old and the Young King from 1935 and in the television play The Heir to the Throne from 1979, the main theme is Friedrich's youth and the conflict with his father. In the film version from 1935 Emil Jannings and Werner Hinz take on the roles of Friedrich Wilhelm I and his son, in the 1979 production Günter Strack (who also played the role in other television productions) and Jan Kollwitz . The filmed theater performance The Sad Story of Frederick the Great is also dedicated to this topic. Hints can also be found in Saxony's glamor and Prussia's Gloria and Friedrich - A German King .

Seven Years War (1756–1763) Especially during the time of National Socialism , the Seven Years War was the main theme of Friedrich films, for example in The Choral of Leuthen , Fridericus and The Great King . In these films, Prussia and Friedrich are usually portrayed in such a falsified and glorifying way that the films have little in common with historical facts. They all show the same pattern of action: At the beginning Friedrich loses a battle, there is no more hope, another battle follows, Friedrich wins and saves Prussia. The lavish, monumental battle scenes deserve special mention. In addition, the Seven Years' War is a topic in DEFA's production of Saxony's glamor and Prussia's glory . The film The Stolen Battle deals with the Seven Years' War in a comedic manner.

Friedrich Freiherr von der Trenck The life of Friedrich Freiherr von der Trenck has been filmed three times so far. Frederick II also plays a leading role in these films. At the beginning the patrons of Trenck, in the middle part a friend and towards the end his bitter enemy who has him chained to his own tombstone. All film adaptations are based on the memoirs of Trenck's Des Friedrich Freiherrn von der Trenck's Strange Life Story , which are not fully documented historically. In the first film adaptation of Trenck from 1932, Hans Stüwe played Trenck and Theodor Loos Friedrich II. The television production The Strange Life Story of Friedrich Freiherrn von der Trenck from 1973 shows Trenck's life until death. Trenck is played here by Matthias Habich and Friedrich II by Rolf Becker . Rolf Becker's son Ben Becker plays Trenck in the television production Trenck - Two Hearts Against the Crown from 2001, while August Zirner plays Friedrich II.

Otto fee

Friedrich II was portrayed by various well-known actors, with the actor Otto Fee standing out, who embodied Friedrich in a total of 12 feature films in every phase of his life. Paul Wegener was originally planned to play the role of the Prussian King for the first of these films , and he initially accepted the offer until he met Fee at a theater performance and noticed a certain resemblance to the character. Fee, whose interest was actually limited to comedies, allowed himself to be persuaded to take photographs in which historical portraits and paintings by Friedrich were recreated. These recordings also convinced Fee. Wegener turned down the role he was offered and expressly recommended a fee. In the first film The Dancer Barberina , the role was actually only intended as a secondary character. Fee's presentation received such a positive response that the first part of the Fridericus Rex series was filmed that same year.

The acting performance made him one of the most popular and celebrated actors of the time. Due to his success as Friedrich, he almost exclusively focused on the representation of historical figures. Due to this role definition of the Prussian king, fee has been forgotten after the Second World War. While the old films by fellow actors like Hans Albers or Heinz Rühmann could still be seen in the cinema or later on television after the Second World War, as they were largely apolitical, most films were indexed with a fee. Attempts to bring some films back into the cinemas in a heavily censored version failed because the majority of the population now distanced themselves from this part of their history. One last film project about Friedrich with a fee in the main role should be created as a home film. However, it failed due to Fee's death in 1954.

Filmography

literature

  • Erwin Leiser: “Germany, awake!”. Propaganda in the film of the Third Reich , Reinbek (Rowohlt) 1978
  • Axel Marquardt, Heinz Rathsack: Prussia in the film. A retrospective of the Deutsche Kinemathek Foundation , Reinbek 1981
  • Anette Dorgerloh, Marcus Becker (eds.): Prussia from Celluloid - Friedrich II. Im Film , Jaron Verlag 2012