Sehnsucht (lost F.W Murnau German silent horror film, 1921)
Poster for Desire (1921)
Status: Lost
Sehnsucht (or Desire in English) is a silent German horror film directed by F.W Murnau (Most famous for directing the films Nosferatu and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans). It was released in February 1921 and goes by different names depending on the region, known as Nostalgia in Italy, Desire in the USA, Sehnsucht or Bajazzo in Germany, and Longning in other areas.[1][2]
The film was likely produced by Mosch-Film and was distributed by Lipow Film,[3] with a crew that may have included screenwriter Carl Heinz Jarosy, cinematographer Carl Hoffman, and Art Director Robert Neppach (however, this is mostly unconfirmed).
The film would have had German intertitles throughout the film similar to those seen in other silent films from the era.
Plot Synopsis
Ivan (Conrad Veidt), a poor Russian student, lives in Switzerland, studying either art or dancing. He was unexpectedly invited to Russia by a distant relative, Princess Wirsky (Gussy Holl?).
He longs to accept the invite and return home; however, he does not have the funds to make such a journey. Therefore, to help finance the trip, he takes on work as a messenger for revolutionaries (or nihilists, depending on the source) who want to depose Grand Duke Wirsky.
In Moscow, he delivers the message and falls in love with Marja (Margarete Schlegel), the daughter of the revolutionary. Marja’s father loves Princess Wirsky and wants to betray the revolutionaries. The princess falls in love with Ivan and jealously deports Marja to Siberia. In revenge, Ivan strangles the princess. He spends the rest of his life yearning for Marja, whom he has never kissed. When he receives the news of Marja’s death, he commits suicide.[4][5]
Status
As of 2020, it is believed to be a lost film as no prints are known to exist.
Cast
| Cast Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Conrad Veidt | Ivan |
| Gussy Holl | Drand Duchess |
| Margarete Schlegel | Marja |
| Ellen Bolan | Dancer |
| Eugen Klöpfer | Unknown Role |
| Paul Graetz | Unknown Role |
| Helene Gray | Unknown Role |
| Danny Gürtler | Unknown Role |
| Albert Bennefeld | Unknown Role |
| Marcela Gremo | Unknown Role |
| Hubert von Meyerinck | Unknown Role |
Gallery
The only known surviving screengrab. Featuring Conrad Veidt and Gussy Holl.
References
- ↑ https://silentera.com/PSFL/data/S/Sehnsucht1921.html SilentEra
- ↑ https://silentera.com/PSFL/bibliography/Lloyd-Seventy.html The book which SilentEra cite as their reference for much of their information on the film, I can't find a copy online to check though
- ↑ https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9a0684ca BFI Entry (Sehnscucht)
- ↑ https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/6123-sehnsucht Movie Database Synopsis
- ↑ https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lOgRKn07oMIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false Murnau by Lotte H. Eisner Page 130 has a short entry on the film, backed up by Gussy Holl