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 Kiangning (modern Nanjing), 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 Doll Maker of Kiang-Ning | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Wiene |
| Written by | Carl Mayer |
| Produced by | Robert Wiene |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Willy Hameister |
Production company | Lionardo Film |
| Distributed by | Deitz & Co |
Release date |
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| Country | Germany |
| Languages | |
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
References
Bibliography
- Jung, Uli; Schatzberg, Walter (1999). Beyond Caligari: The Films of Robert Wiene. New York: Berghahn Books. ISBN 978-1-57181-156-1.
