Heart of Stone (1950 film)
| Heart of Stone | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Paul Verhoeven |
| Written by | Wilhelm Hauff |
| Starring | Lutz Moik |
| Cinematography | |
| Edited by | Lena Neumann |
| Music by | Herbert Trantow |
| Distributed by | DEFA |
Release date |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | East Germany |
| Language | German |
Heart of Stone (German: Das kalte Herz) is an East German fantasy film directed by Paul Verhoeven. The first East German film made in Agfacolor, it was released in 1950. The film is based on the fairy tale of the same name originally published by Wilhelm Hauff in 1826.
Plot
[edit]Peter, a woodsman and his mother live in the Black Forest where he makes a living selling charcoal. Stung by the ridicule of the wealthier inhabitants of the village and desiring to marry the beautiful Lisbeth, he sees his only chance for prosperity in appealing to a good forest spirit, the small Glasmännlein, who grants him two wishes at first, then a third wish later. Peter wishes for wealth that he purchases a glassworks but due to his inexperience the glassworks fails and he gambles his money away.
Unable to marry Lisbeth due to his being pursued by creditors, Peter locates a dark forest spirit, Holländer-Michel, to make more wishes for wealth. Holländer-Michel agrees to grant him wealth, but only in exchange for his heart that Holländer-Michel replaces with one made of stone. Holländer-Michel shows that the wealthier inhabitants of the village already have done so and shows Peter their hearts that he displays on the wall. Peter agrees and becomes a ruthlessly successful businessman but at the cost of Lisbeth and his happiness.
Cast
[edit]- Lutz Moik as Peter Munk
- Hanna Rucker as Lisbeth
- Paul Bildt as Glasmännlein
- Erwin Geschonneck as Holländer-Michel
- Paul Esser as Ezechiel
- Lotte Loebinger as Peter Munk's Mutter
- Alexander Engel as Lisbeths Oheim
- Hannsgeorg Laubenthal as Hannes
- Karl Hellmer as Meister Anton
- Walter Tarrach as Amtmann
- Eva Probst as Bärbel
- Herbert Kiper as Hochzeitslader
- Karl Heinz Deickert as Elias
Reception
[edit]The film is one of the most successful DEFA pictures of all time, and sold 9,779,526 tickets in East Germany.[1]
References
[edit]External links
[edit]
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- 1950 films
- 1950s children's fantasy films
- German children's fantasy films
- East German films
- 1950s German-language films
- Films directed by Paul Verhoeven (Germany)
- Films based on works by Wilhelm Hauff
- Films based on short fiction
- Films set in the 18th century
- Films about wish fulfillment
- Films set in the Black Forest
- Films based on fairy tales
- 1950s German films
- Films about businesspeople
- Films scored by Herbert Trantow
- 1950s German film stubs
- Fantasy film stubs