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Robert Wiene (1920) |
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Carl Boese and Paul Wegener (1920) |
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The first expressionist masterpiece of German cinema
remains one of the greatest and most influential of horror films.
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This stylish fantasy horror film is the prototype for
the classic Hollywood monster movies of the 1930s.
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Sven Gade and Heinz Schall (1921) |
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F.W. Murnau (1922) |
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An expressionist take on Shakespeare's play, in which the Danish prince with a penchant for
poetry and murder is played as a woman.
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Arguably the greatest horror film of all time, Murnau's Nosferatu
is certainly the most chilling interpretation of the vampire legend.
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F.W. Murnau (1922) |
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Fritz Lang (1922) |
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A poignant story of one man's descent into Hell as he follows an impossible love,
a prefect synthesis of realism and expressionism.
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This epic crime thriller established Fritz Lang as one of Germany's leading
directors and seems strangely prescient of the rise of fascism.
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F.W. Murnau (1924) |
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F.W. Murnau (1926) |
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One of the comedy masterpieces of German cinema, starring the legendary Emil Jannings
in one of his most memorable roles.
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Murnau's version of Goethe's famous Faust story
is a masterpiece of expressionism, famous for Emil Jannings's
tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Mephistopheles.
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Arnold Fanck (1926) |
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F.W. Murnau (1926) |
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With its stunning alpine location sequences, this is one of the most
alluring of silent German films, a moving story of love and sacrifice.
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This stylish re-interpretation of Molière's celebrated play
is both an elegant example of expressionism and, thanks to Emil Jannings's portrayal of Tartuffe, a
very amusing silent film comedy.
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Fritz Lang (1927) |
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Georg Wilhelm Pabst (1928) |
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With its iconic Art Deco design and stunning visual effects, this film deserves
its reputation as one of the greatest science-fiction films ever made.
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Brigitte Helm gives a daringly realistic portrayal of a sexually frustrated
bourgeois wife in this film, which aroused great controversy when it was first released.
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Fritz Lang (1928) |
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Fritz Lang (1929) |
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With its seriously bad villain, handsome hero, intrigue and suspense-laden action scenes,
this was one of Fritz Lang's most popular films, and the prototype for most spy-thrillers since.
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Here is one of the earliest attempts at a "serious" science-fiction film,
in which Fritz Lang went to great lengths to portray a moon trip as
realistically as possible.
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Fritz Lang (1924) |
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Carl Theodor Dreyer (1932) |
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Arguably the pinnacle of Fritz Lang’s career is this ambitious adaptation
of an epic 13th Century Germanic poem of heroism, betrayal and revenge.
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With its ghostly photography and shadowy Gothic setting,
Vampyr remains one of the most evocative and chilling of horror films.
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Robert Siodmak (1930) |
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Josef von Sternberg (1930) |
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Striking for its realism, this documentary-style film
shows how ordinary German people lived through the turbulent years of the Weimar Republic.
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Most famous for Marlene Dietrich singing "Falling In Love Again", this film is also
memorable for Emil Jannings's poignant portrayal of a schoolmaster who is destroyed by love.
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Wilhelm Thiele (1930) |
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Fritz Lang (1931) |
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This pioneering film operetta was the forerunner of the Hollywood musical,
featuring some great comedy and some enchanting musical numbers.
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Peter Lorre's portrayal of a child killer is nightmare-inducing stuff
in this ambitious psychological thrillers, one of Fritz Lang's greatest films.
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Robert Siodmak (1933) |
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Fritz Lang (1933) |
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This poignant comedy-drama makes a startling contrast with the film noir style
which its director would perfect during his period in Hollywood.
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The evil Dr Mabuse returns to face Inspector Lohmann in in this stylish horror-thriller,
a sophisticated crime adventure with plenty of spills, thrills and chills.
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Helmut Weiss (1944) |
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Robert Siodmak (1955) |
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One of the all-time comedy classics of German cinema, this stands as one of the best and funniest
films about schooling, thanks to some masterfully realised comic sequences.
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Robert Siodmak won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for this
hard-hitting social drama, which features Maria Schell and Curd Jürgens at their best.
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This look at the funnier side of German reunification was a huge
international success, combining moments of great tenderness with sublime laugh-out-loud comedy.
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