Friedrich Schiller – The Triumph of a Genius

Friedrich Schiller - The Triumph of a genius is a German film from 1940, he treated, based on the novel by Norbert Jacques passion, the artistic beginnings of the German poet Friedrich Schiller..

Action

In the 18th century Württemberg has to suffer from the harsh rule of the Duke of Württemberg, Karl Eugen. The poet Schubart dares open criticism, but was arrested a short time later using a ruse and imprisoned in the detention center Asperg.

At the same time growing in the young Friedrich Schiller the inner resistance to the military drill of the military academy, where he studied medicine at the command of the Duke.

During the parade march Birthday of Karl Eugen's wife, the Countess Franziska von Hohenheim, Schiller is causing a stir when he can get a love poem his flame Laura Rieger. Their mother is lobbying the Countess committed to spare Schiller.

At the ceremony of diplomas Schiller declared to Karl Eugen, that it has a philosophical tone anschlage in his medical work, because every science, and medicine is reaching its limits, and he must follow his heart when writing his works. The Mad Karl Eugen orders that Schiller did not have to spend another year at the Academy. The use of Schiller's father, who works as a gardener for Karl Eugen, remains without success. When Laura is committed to the Countess for Schiller, promises that help, but neither bears fruit.

Meanwhile, Schiller begins secretly, his protest piece of writing The robbers. Even with the extra year at the Academy Schiller can not break his will and goes so well from a dispute with Karl Eugen, whether geniuses are educated or born, as the winner.

When Schiller Laura proudly says that his piece was finished, he learns of her dismayed by Schubart's arrest.

In an appeal suggests the Duke, who got on the resistance of Schiller and his fellow students wind and announces that he will not tolerate rebellion, Schiller a trip to Asperg ago. There Schiller true to his horror on a broken Schubart. In faith, Karl Eugen Schiller would be jailed, can General Rieger Schiller set to Asperg, but this is immediately taken back by the Duke.

Meanwhile, Laura has forwarded the manuscript to the robbers to marshal silver calf. Schiller is only disappointed by this betrayal, but learns of Laura, that the manuscript was still with her. Immediately Schiller can print it anonymously. In order not to attract attention, Schiller devotes himself entirely to medicine to take the examination and the Academy to finally leave. After the exam Schiller enters the service of the regiment of General Augé, tells the Schiller delighted that he considered the author of the robbers was a genius.

In the inn get Schiller and his friends celebrate the publication of the robbers, a letter from the theater director Dalberg from Mannheim and find to their delight that the piece should be listed.

The show is a success. Duke Karl Eugen goes on a rampage and Schiller calls to himself. When Schiller still stands by its settings, it has no choice but to leave Württemberg in order to escape imprisonment on the Asperg.

Awards

The Nazi Board of Film gave the film the predicates state politically valuable, artistic merit and worth youth.

Reviews

The film criticism was looking mainly for an explanation of how it was possible that was shown during the period of Nazi dictatorship Friedrich Schiller without fear as a rebel against the authorities of his time. You could see one hand collection Schiller as the predecessor of "geniuses" Hitler, but on the other hand you also looked for hidden criticism of the Nazi regime.

So Thomas Kramer stated for Reclams Encyclopedia of German film, there were a carefully staged film about Schiller and his freedom-loving spirit. Like other films genius was his function approached, " German supermen to stylize the rights possessed in the Nazi ethics, which was not due to the rest of the population. " This parallels to Adolf Hitler should be caused. However, this desirable trend, inter alia, by Klopfer and Caspar, was " of Schiller as a rebellious hothead recorded ," been undermined repeated here.

Heynes Filmlexikon called Friedrich Schiller a strange " mixture of freedom and people pathos " in which highly the song sounded from the "superman ", so that the film for the Nazis was national policy valuable.

Even the Catholic movie service pointed to the careful direction and significant occupation by the movie " a remarkable political ambivalence between the rebellious " in tyrannos " and the cult of the genius of Nazi ideology " show.

Erwin Leiser pointed out that " a superficial observer [ ... ] perhaps the temptation to " succumb "to see in this film, a call for freedom of expression ." In fact, going but ignored here is that the film does not take hold against the Duke party, which was equipped as a ruler with all rights over his subjects, but where there was a lack of the visionary genius of Schiller, apply to the hence the logic of the film according to other rules would have. The author of the robbers was the film of the precursor of the author of Mein Kampf. A quote from a contemporary review of the magazine Film-Kurier, in which, inter alia, the " superhuman power" the Genius voice is mentioned in Schiller, Leiser can follow a rhetorical question: " Who is not here at the moment Hitler felt his calling and politicians will? "

The German Film Institute says:

" The elaborately staged film with star cast divided even today the film critics: while some see it as a protest against the suppression in 1940, others see the figure of the great German genius Friedrich Schiller reproduced the ideology of the Nazis. "

Evidence

1940 in film Herbert Maisch Screenplay Lotte Neumann Film score Herbert Windt Fritz Arno Wagner Heinrich George Hohenasperg National Theatre Mannheim Deutsches Filminstitut Integrated Authority File
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de