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Robert WieneGerman film director
Date of Birth: 24.04.1873
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Robert Wiene: German Expressionist Pioneer
- Theatrical Beginnings
- Cinematic Debut
- "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari": A Masterwork of Expressionism
- Further Expressionist Explorations
- Emigration and Later Life
- Robert Wiene passed away on July 17, 1938, in Paris.
Robert Wiene: German Expressionist Pioneer
Early Life and EducationThe precise birth date and birthplace of Robert Wiene remain uncertain. However, it is believed that he was born in 1873 in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), rather than 1881 in Dresden, Germany. His father, Karl Wiene, was a renowned Saxon court actor of Czech descent. His younger brother, Konrad Wiene, also became a stage and screen actor.
In 1894, Robert Wiene commenced law studies in Berlin, later transferring to Vienna in 1895.
Theatrical Beginnings
Before entering the cinematic realm, Wiene directed two small theaters in 1908 and 1909.
Cinematic Debut
In 1913, Wiene made his cinematic debut both as a screenwriter and director.
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari": A Masterwork of Expressionism
Wiene achieved worldwide fame with the 1920 expressionist masterpiece "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari). This iconic film, with its stylized sets and haunting atmosphere, is considered a seminal work in the history of cinema.
Further Expressionist Explorations
Wiene continued to explore the expressionist genre with films such as "Genuine" (1921), "Raskolnikow" (1923), an adaptation of Dostoevsky's novel, and "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" (1923), starring Grigory Khmara.
Emigration and Later Life
In 1934, Wiene emigrated from Germany due to the rise of Nazism. After brief sojourns in Budapest and London, he settled in Paris. An attempt to collaborate with Jean Cocteau on a sound remake of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" proved unsuccessful.
