Ernst Lubitsch in (German) Silent Cinema: Production, Creativity, Style

The lecture will present Ernst Lubitsch as one of the key figures in German silent cinema, a movement that was by no means limited to the avant-garde. It will explain Lubitsch’s extraordinary productivity, the role of his stable creative team, and his effective collaborations with prominent actresses such as Ossi Oswald, Pola Negri, or Henny Porten. It will show how, shortly after World War I, he managed to establish a strong, stylistically recognizable presence in two distinct genres: visually stylized comedy and historical costume dramas. The lecture will also explore how Lubitsch willingly adapted his existing filmmaking techniques to incorporate new trends coming from abroad, which earned him recognition amid fierce competition in Hollywood. Although Lubitsch is best known for his sound comedies, such as Trouble in Paradise (1932), Ninotchka (1939), or The Shop Around the Corner (1940), the lecture and retrospective of his German silent films will reveal him, even in the early stages of his career, as a determined and motivated filmmaker who not only adapted to industry standards but soon began to define them.