by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Fritz Lang was a stickler for realism in his American films; not so his German silents, which were fanciful to the point of being fairy tales. Der Müde Tod, Lang's first big critical success, is an allegorical tale of love, fidelity and death. The heroine (Lil Dagover), who in her dreams is confronted by Mr. Death, argues for the life of her beloved, but is unable to make the personal sacrifices that Death insists upon. Originally presented in three parts, Der Müde Tod was often boiled down to a single film for its non-German showings. Its English-language titles range from The Weary Death to Between Two Worlds to Beyond the Wall to Destiny.
characteristics
- High Artistic Quality
- High Historical Importance
- Dying
- Death
- Dead
- Widower
- Husband-and-wife
- Love
- Obsessive Quests
- Reincarnation
- Fantastic Reality
- Devotion [dedication]
- Destiny
- Dreams
- Sacrifice
