WARNING SHADOWS / Schatten – Eine nächtliche Halluzination
Dir.: Arthur Robison | Scr.: Rudolf Schneider, Arthur Robison | Cin.: Fritz Arno Wagner | Mus.: Ernst Riege | Ηθ.: Alexander Granach, Fritz Kortner, Ruth Weyher, Gustav von Wangenheim, Eugen Rex, Max Gülstorff, Ferdinand von Alten | Prod.: Enrico Dieckmann, Willy Seibold
A baron invites four admirers of his – provocative – wife to dinner, along with a traveling shadow theatre artist to perform his show. Its theme: men who desire another man’s wife. The entertainer–magician hypnotizes them, inducing nightmarish visions of what could happen if they flirt with the lady of the house…
This exceptional psychological thriller remained hidden for decades—until its restoration. A gem of German Expressionism, it boldly explores the concepts of desire, jealousy, and infidelity through a captivating cinematic style, marked by its strong visual identity and striking cinematography. Stunning plays of light and shadow, of figures and people, reveal the interactions between the conscious and the subconscious, between fantasy and reality, while showcasing the full power of the image—and thus of cinema.