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Silent Wagner

Product Image: Silent Wagner

Silent Wagner

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Description
The film 'The Life and Works of Richard Wagner', directed by Carl Fröhlich, was first released on 20th November 1913. It was the first ever 'bio-pic', and as such about who else but Wagner? What is extraordinary, however, is that it predates D.W.Griffiths and 'Birth of a Nation', usually described as the first 'long' silent, at a time when the great majority of silents ran for 10 minutes at most. Fröhlich's film runs for over 80 minutes! The DVD includes commentary from acclaimed director Tony Palmer. Starring Guiseppe Becce as the composer (he later became a distinguished composer himself for almost 100 talkies), and made when Wagner's widow Cosima was still omnipotent in Germany, it raises the question for instance of who exactly was Wagner's father? Was it Ludwig Geyer, the Jew? Fröhlich went on to have a chequered career. A member of the party from 1933, he was eventually appointed President of the Reichsfilmkammer, the trade organisation which controlled access to all film activities. At the end of the war he was arrested and, although de-fied in 1948, his studio having been badly damaged during the war never resumed production. His films were then confiscated by the Federal Republic! This film has been fully restored from the original print and keeping the authentic tints to ensure it is as close to what Carl Fröhlich would have wanted.
Product details
Release Date:
2011-12-13
Number of Discs:
1
Publication Date:
2013-02-01
Publisher:
Tony Palmer (in-Akustik)
Aspect Ratios:
1.33:1
Languages:
Original: English
Weight:
73 g
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