Der Müller und sein Kind
Encyclopedia
Der Müller und sein Kind, a silent film
made in 1911, is the oldest Austria
n drama film to survive in its entirety. It was produced by the Österreichisch-Ungarische Kinoindustrie, which later in 1911 changed its name to become the Wiener Kunstfilm-Industrie. The same company had filmed the same plot in the previous year, but of that version nothing survives.
The film is based on the late Romantic
supernatural melodrama by Ernst Raupach, a very popular work, which was first performed to great acclaim in 1830 at the Burgtheater
in Vienna
, and thereafter was performed in many theatres at Halloween well into the 20th century.
The film had its premiere on 21 October 1911 in Vienna.
According to the producers the film had a length of around 600 metres, on 35 mm
cellulose nitrate film. The drama was filmed in 19 scenes, and at a projection speed of 16 frames per second, common in early silent fims, lasted 21 minutes and 50 seconds. Although the Filmarchiv Austria
, which preserves the film, has 150 metres less, the action of the film is nevertheless complete, although the ends of the individual reels are too abrupt, and the end of scene 19 is missing.
Technical direction was by Joseph Delmont
, later a director of animal films and crime films, who among other things operated the camera by hand crank.
The cast consisted of Max Bing
(Konrad), Fräulein Heller (Marie), Theodor Weiß (The Miller), Fritz Lunzer (landlord) and Herr Ludwig (priest).
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
made in 1911, is the oldest Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n drama film to survive in its entirety. It was produced by the Österreichisch-Ungarische Kinoindustrie, which later in 1911 changed its name to become the Wiener Kunstfilm-Industrie. The same company had filmed the same plot in the previous year, but of that version nothing survives.
The film is based on the late Romantic
German Romanticism
For the general context, see Romanticism.In the philosophy, art, and culture of German-speaking countries, German Romanticism was the dominant movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. German Romanticism developed relatively late compared to its English counterpart, coinciding in its...
supernatural melodrama by Ernst Raupach, a very popular work, which was first performed to great acclaim in 1830 at the Burgtheater
Burgtheater
The Burgtheater , originally known as K.K. Theater an der Burg, then until 1918 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world.The Burgtheater was created in 1741 and has become known as "die Burg" by the...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and thereafter was performed in many theatres at Halloween well into the 20th century.
The film had its premiere on 21 October 1911 in Vienna.
According to the producers the film had a length of around 600 metres, on 35 mm
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
cellulose nitrate film. The drama was filmed in 19 scenes, and at a projection speed of 16 frames per second, common in early silent fims, lasted 21 minutes and 50 seconds. Although the Filmarchiv Austria
Filmarchiv Austria
The Filmarchiv Austria is an organisation for the discovery, reconstruction and preservation of Austrian film record material: films themselves, literature about film and cinema, or film-related periodicals...
, which preserves the film, has 150 metres less, the action of the film is nevertheless complete, although the ends of the individual reels are too abrupt, and the end of scene 19 is missing.
Technical direction was by Joseph Delmont
Joseph Delmont
Joseph Delmont, was an Austrian film director of some 200 films, largely shorts, in which he was noted for his innovative use of beasts of prey. He was also a cameraman, actor and screenplay writer...
, later a director of animal films and crime films, who among other things operated the camera by hand crank.
The cast consisted of Max Bing
Max Bing
Max Bing was a German actor and director of radio plays.-Biography:Bing was born in Dresden. He received his first theatrical engagement in 1903 at the Ducal Court Theatre, Meiningen . After that he performed in, among other places, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Brno, Stuttgart and Berlin...
(Konrad), Fräulein Heller (Marie), Theodor Weiß (The Miller), Fritz Lunzer (landlord) and Herr Ludwig (priest).
Plot
Konrad, a poor miller's son, wants to marry Marie, a rich miller's daughter, but her widowed father is malicious and avaricious, and tricks the lovers in a despicable way. The imminent demise of the miller and his innocent daughter is foreshadowed by the appearance of the bird of death and the graveyard ghost.External links
- Fritz, Walter, 1997: Im Kino erlebe ich die Welt - 100 Jahre Kino und Film in Österreich. Vienna: Christian Brandstätter ISBN 3854476612