The Doll Maker of Kiang-Ning
| The Doll Maker of Kiang-Ning | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Wiene |
| Produced by | Robert Wiene |
| Written by | Carl Mayer |
| Starring |
Werner Krauss Lia Eibenschütz Ossip Runitsch. |
| Cinematography | Willy Hameister |
Production company |
Lionardo Film |
| Distributed by | Deitz & Co |
Release date |
|
| Country | Germany |
| Language |
Silent German intertitles |
The Doll Maker of Kiang-Ning (German: Der Puppenmacher von Kiang-Ning) is a 1923 German silent fantasy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Werner Krauss, Lia Eibenschütz and Ossip Runitsch. A doll maker in China crafts a puppet which he is convinced is lifelike. He takes it to exhibit at a public event, but is outraged to find an even more convincing and beautiful doll there. It is in fact a real woman pretending to be a doll, but he becomes so obsessed he attempts to steal her and the film ends with her rescue and his tragic death.[1]
The film had its premiere in Berlin in November 1923. It received a universally negative reception from critics who were particularly unimpressed by the attempt to portray Chinese culture using German actors.[2] The film continues a wider theme in the director Robert Wiene's work which contrasts Western and Eastern cultures.
Cast
- Werner Krauss
- Lia Eibenschütz
- Ossip Runitsch
- Lucie Mannheim
- Julius Falkenstein
- Fritz Achterberg
- Hans Schweikart
- Eugen Rex
- Yuri Yurovsky
- Alexander Alexandrowski
References
Bibliography
- Jung, Uli & Schatzberg, Walter. Beyond Caligari: The Films of Robert Wiene. Berghahn Books, 1999.