Marizza
About Marizza
Marizza picks potatoes for old Yelina, who sells the crop to smugglers rather than to the merchant Pietro Scarzella. Marizza flirts with the smugglers Mirko and Grischuk so they will take the potatoes, and the lovestruck policeman Haslinger lets them pass. She then works for Mrs. Avricolos. Both sons, Christo and Antonino, want her. Mrs. Avricolos throws her out after finding her in Christo's room, because Christo is meant to marry Scarzella's daughter Sadja and save the farm. Marizza runs off with Antonino. They are found with an infant, near starvation. She kills Haslinger to keep Antonino from prison, and he confesses anyway. She leaves the child with Yelina. Soldiers burn the smugglers' cottages. Christo pulls Marizza and the baby from Yelina's burning house.
Cast & crew
More about Marizza
F. W. Murnau directed for producer Erwin Rosner. Hans Janowitz wrote the script from Wolfgang Geiger's manuscript Grüne Augen. Karl Freund was the cinematographer. Heinrich Richter designed the sets. Shooting was in October 1920. The censorship card of 16 July 1921, B.3761, barred the film to young audiences. filmportal.de dates the Berlin premiere to 20 January 1921 at the Johann-Georg-Lichtspiele and gives the length as five acts, 1,735 metres.
Themes
Look
Karl Freund photographed the film at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin.
Preservation
Long treated as lost. The Cineteca Nazionale holds a fragment of the first reel. Olaf Brill reported in 2010 that a fragment then with an Italian collector had been found and restored.
Notes
- The full title is Marizza, genannt die Schmugglermadonna.
- Tzwetta Tzatschewa plays Marizza, Adele Sandrock plays Mrs. Avricolos, Harry Frank plays Christo, and Hans Heinrich von Twardowski plays Antonino.
- Greta Schröder plays Sadja, Maria Forescu plays Yelina, Max Nemetz plays Grischuk, and Albrecht Viktor Blum plays Mirko.
- The English-language Wikipedia dates the release 20 January 1922 and lists 50 minutes. filmportal.de and the German Wikipedia use 20 January 1921 and about 95 minutes for 1,735 metres.
- German Wikipedia says the Johann-Georg-Lichtspiele opened with this film, and that Murnau then lived next door at Johann-Georg-Straße 21–22.
- filmportal's short synopsis says the child is Christo's. The longer English plot has Marizza leave with Antonino and does not name the father.
Scenes
- Mrs. Avricolos finds Marizza in Christo's bedroom and orders her off the farm.
- Marizza kills Haslinger after Antonino attacks him.
- Christo carries Marizza and the baby out of Yelina's burning house.
Influenced by
- Grüne Augen (manuscript)
Also available
- Internet Archive (silent-marizza)
