Michael

Adapted from the novel by Herman Bang, Dreyer’s devastating and heartbreaking story of a love affair between a famous painter and his muse – doomed by the presence of a seductive countess – stands as a landmark as one of the earliest films (as well as one of the very few silent films) to feature a homosexual relationship. Though the film is virtually a chamber play set mostly indoors, Dreyer nevertheless made the best of his generous budget by building lavishly decorated interior sets and opulent artwork that befit the stature of its protagonist, loosely based on French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

A film from the holdings of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung (www.murnau-stiftung.de) in Wiesbaden.