History Creator / FriedrichWilhelmMurnau

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe, December 28, 1888 – March 11, 1931), commonly known as F. W. Murnau, is one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of film history, and one of the greatest directors of the silent film era. Born in Germany, Murnau fought in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI before joining the German Air Force, where he fought in the air before accidentally landing in Switzerland and being interned.

After enjoying another triumph with his adaptation of ''Faust'', Murnau was brought to America by William Fox of Fox Studios (which later became 20th Century Fox). The result was ''Sunrise'', a lyrical tale of a husband and wife repairing their broken marriage which is still hailed as one of the best silent films ever made. His next films, ''4 Devils'' (now lost) and ''City Girl'' were taken from him and ReCut by the studios, with talking scenes added as Hollywood was transitioning to sound. Murnau, who had no interest in talking films, proceeded to spend his own money to make another silent, ''Film/{{Tabu}}''. He probably would have knuckled under like everyone else did and make talkies, but he never got the chance. He was killed in a car accident in 1931 just a few days before ''Tabu'' premiered.

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888 – March 11, 1931), commonly known as F. W. Murnau, is one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of film history, and one of the greatest directors of the silent film era. Born in Germany, Murnau fought in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI before joining the German Air Force, where he fought in the air before accidentally landing in Switzerland and being interned.

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1888–1931), commonly known as F. W. Murnau, is one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of film history, and one of the greatest directors of the silent film era. Born in Germany, Murnau fought in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI before joining the German Air Force, where he fought in the air before accidentally landing in Switzerland and being interned.

Friedrich Wilhelm (or F. W.) Murnau (1888–1931) is one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of film history, and one of the greatest directors of the silent film era. Born in Germany, Murnau fought in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI before joining the German Air Force, where he fought in the air before accidentally landing in Switzerland and being interned.

Friedrich Wilhelm (or F. W.) Murnau is one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of film history, and one of the greatest directors of the silent film era. Born in Germany in 1888, Murnau fought in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI before joining the German Air Force, where he fought in the air before accidentally landing in Switzerland and being interned.

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau or F. W. Murnau is one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of film history, and one of the greatest directors of the silent film era. Born in Germany in 1888, Murnau fought in the trenches of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI before joining the German Air Force, where he fought in the air before accidentally landing in Switzerland and being interned.

* ''Film/{{Nosferatu}''} (1922)

* ''Film/{{Nosferatu}} (1922)''
* ''Film/TheLastLaugh (1924)''
* ''Faust (1926)''
* ''Film/{{Sunrise}} (1927)''
* ''[[Film/{{Tabu}} Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931)]]''

Almost immediately after the war ended he went to work in the German film industry, directing his first feature-length film in 1919. Murnau became world-famous with his 1922 vampire film ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'', which [[TropeMaker invented the idea that vampires die in sunlight]]. His 1925 triumph ''Film/TheLastLaugh'' was a masterpiece in the art of communicating visually, with less reliance on broad gestures and AsYouKnow intertitles. In fact, the film has '''no''' intertitles.[[note]] Well, actually, it has one intertitle, but that's used for a BreakingTheFourthWall message from the director to the audience.[[/note]]. Murnau's films throughout his career used far fewer title cards or written exposition than any other filmmaker of the silent era.

Almost immediately after the war ended he went to work in the German film industry, directing his first feature-length film in 1919. Murnau became world-famous with his 1922 vampire film ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'', which [[TropeMaker invented the idea that vampires die in sunlight]]. His 1925 triumph ''Film/TheLastLaugh'' was a masterpiece in the art of communicating visually, with less reliance on broad gestures and AsYouKnow intertitles. In fact, the film has '''no''' intertitles.[[note]] Well, actually, it has one intertitle, but that's used for a BreakingTheFourthWall message from the director to the audience.[[/note]].

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau or F. W. Murnau is one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of film history. He died young in 1931 in a car crash on the way to the premiere of his last film, ''Tabu : A Story of the South Seas'' but [[ShortLivedBigImpact even then]] he left behind a body of work that makes him one of the greatest film-makers of the 20th Century.

The lack of sound meant that silent films tended to be handicapped from developing complex, psychological, adult narratives of the kind that came easily to novels and plays. They by and large featured simple stories and the gesture dependent and overly expressive acting styles put a damper on attempts at realism. Murnau was one of the first to try and solve this dilemma, by using cinematic techniques of camera placement, camera movement and lighting to suggest character complexity and a portrait of society. His use of cinema to communicate visually, with less reliance on broad gestures and AsYouKnow intertitles led him to achieve the fabled HolyGrail of all silent films, a film without intertitles, with ''Film/TheLastLaugh''[[note]] It ''does'' have one intertitle, which announces the obviously fake HappyEnding but does not use it for dialogue and exposition [[/note]]. He also pioneered the TrackingShot in these films.

Indeed despite directing ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' and ''Faust'', two films which are the poster child for GermanExpressionism, Murnau was among the first directors to shoot on location and kept moving to realism. Even ''Nosferatu'' by and large was shot on real locations. His films influenced several directors around the world, including Creator/AlfredHitchcock and Creator/JohnFord. Hollywood was so impressed by his German films, that William Fox, of Fox Studios, invited him to make a film in America, granting him an AuteurLicense and ProtectionFromEditors (well before OrsonWelles). The result was ''Sunrise'' which won an Oscar for ''Best Artistic Production'' at the first Academy Awards. Murnau subsequently struggled in America but lasted till 1931, when he made an ambitious film shot in Tahiti about Polynesians, remarkable for its ValuesResonance in how it portrays the plight of two lovers trapped both by island traditions and ruthless colonialist capitalism.

* ''[[Film/{{Tabu}} Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931)''

* ''Film/{{Tabu}}: A Story of the South Seas (1931)''

* ''Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931)''

The lack of sound meant that silent films tended to be handicapped from developing complex, psychological adult narratives of the kind that came easily to novels and plays. They by and large featured simple stories and the gesture dependent and overly expressive acting styles put a damper on attempts at realism. Murnau was the first to try and solve this dilemma, by using cinematic techniques of camera placement, camera movement and lighting to suggest character complexity and a portrait of society. He also tried to do this entirely by visual means and achieved the fabled HolyGrail of all silent films, a film without intertitles, with ''Film/TheLastLaugh''. It has one intertitle, which announces the obviously fake HappyEnding but does not use it for dialogues and exposition [[/note]]. He also pioneered the TrackingShot in these films.

Indeed despite directing ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' and ''Faust'', two films which are the poster child for GermanExpressionism, Murnau was among the first directors to shoot on location and kept moving to realism. Even ''Nosferatu'' by and large was shot on real locations. His films influenced several directors around the world, including Creator/AlfredHitchcock and Creator/JohnFord. Hollywood was so impressed by his German films, that William Fox invited him to make a film in America, granting him an AuteurLicense and ProtectionFromEditors (well before OrsonWelles). The result was ''Sunrise'' which won an Oscar for ''Best Artistic Production'' at the first Academy Awards. Murnau subsequently struggled in America but lasted till 1931, when he made an ambitious film shot in Tahiti about Polynesians, remarkable for its ValuesResonance in how it portrays the plight of two lovers trapped both by island traditions and ruthless colonialist capitalism.

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Silent films tended to be hampered by the lack of sound, and as such they didn't necessarily allow for complex characterization, psychological themes and simple, one-dimensional acting which expressed basic emotions and ideas. Murnau was the first to try and solve this dilemma, by using cinematic techniques of camera placement, camera movement and lighting to suggest character complexity and a portrait of society. He also tried to do this entirely by visual means and achieved the fabled HolyGrail of all silent films, a film without intertitles, with ''Film/TheLastLaugh''. It has one intertitle, which announces the obviously fake HappyEnding but does not use it for dialogues and exposition [[/note]]. He also pioneered the TrackingShot in these films.

Silent films tended to be hampered by the lack of sound, and as such they didn't necessarily allow for complex characterization, psychological themes and simple, one-dimensional acting which expressed basic emotions and ideas. Murnau was the first to try and solve this dilemma, by using cinematic techniques of camera placement, camera movement and lighting to suggest character complexity and a portrait of society. He also tried to do this entirely by visual means and achieved the fabled HolyGrail of all silent films, a film without intertitles, with ''The Last Laugh''[[note]] It has one intertitle, which announces the obviously fake HappyEnding but does not use it for dialogues and exposition [[/note]]. He also pioneered the TrackingShot in these films.

Indeed despite directing ''{{Nosferatu}}'' and ''Faust'', two films which are the poster child for GermanExpressionism, Murnau was among the first directors to shoot on location and kept moving to realism. Even ''Nosferatu'' by and large was shot on real locations. His films influenced several directors around the world, including Creator/AlfredHitchcock and Creator/JohnFord. Hollywood was so impressed by his German films, that William Fox invited him to make a film in America, granting him an AuteurLicense and ProtectionFromEditors (well before OrsonWelles). The result was ''Sunrise'' which won an Oscar for ''Best Artistic Production'' at the first Academy Awards. Murnau subsequently struggled in America but lasted till 1931, when he made an ambitious film shot in Tahiti about Polynesians, remarkable for its ValuesResonance in how it portrays the plight of two lovers trapped both by island traditions and ruthless colonialist capitalism.

Indeed despite directing ''{{Nosferatu}}'' and ''Faust'', two films which are the poster child for GermanExpressionism, Murnau was among the first directors to shoot on location and kept moving to realism. Even ''Nosferatu'' by and large was shot on real locations. His films influenced several directors around the world, including Creator/AlfredHitchcock and JohnFord. Hollywood was so impressed by his German films, that William Fox invited him to make a film in America, granting him an AuteurLicense and ProtectionFromEditors (well before OrsonWelles). The result was ''Sunrise'' which won an Oscar for ''Best Artistic Production'' at the first Academy Awards. Murnau subsequently struggled in America but lasted till 1931, when he made an ambitious film shot in Tahiti about Polynesians, remarkable for its ValuesResonance in how it portrays the plight of two lovers trapped both by island traditions and ruthless colonialist capitalism.

Indeed despite directing ''{{Nosferatu}}'' and ''Faust'', two films which are the poster child for GermanExpressionism, Murnau was among the first directors to shoot on location and kept moving to realism. Even ''Nosferatu'' by and large was shot on real locations. His films influenced several directors around the world, including AlfredHitchcock and JohnFord. Hollywood was so impressed by his German films, that William Fox invited him to make a film in America, granting him an AuteurLicense and ProtectionFromEditors (well before OrsonWelles). The result was ''Sunrise'' which won an Oscar for ''Best Artistic Production'' at the first Academy Awards. Murnau subsequently struggled in America but lasted till 1931, when he made an ambitious film shot in Tahiti about Polynesians, remarkable for its ValuesResonance in how it portrays the plight of two lovers trapped both by island traditions and ruthless colonialist capitalism.

Indeed despite directing ''{{Nosferatu}}'' and ''Faust'', two films which are the poster child for GermanExpressionism, Murnau was among the first directors to shoot on location and kept moving to realism. Even ''Nosferatu'' by and large was shot on real locations. His films influenced several directors around the world, including AlfredHitchcock and JohnFord. Hollywood was so impressed by his German films, that William Fox invited him to make a film in America, granting him an AuteurLicense and ProtectionFromEditors (well before OrsonWelles). The result was ''[[Film/Sunrise Sunrise]]'' which won an Oscar for ''BestArtisticProduction'' at the first Academy Awards. Murnau subsequently struggled in America but lasted till 1931, when he made an ambitious film shot in Tahiti about Polynesians, remarkable for its ValuesResonance in how it portrays the plight of two lovers trapped both by island traditions and ruthless colonialist capitalism.

Indeed despite directing ''{{Nosferatu}}'' and ''Faust'', two films which are the poster child for GermanExpressionism, Murnau was among the first directors to shoot on location and kept moving to realism. Even ''Nosferatu'' by and large was shot on real locations. His films influenced several directors around the world, including AlfredHitchcock and JohnFord. Hollywood was so impressed by his German films, that William Fox invited him to make a film in America, granting him an AuteurLicense and ProtectionFromEditors (well before OrsonWelles). The result was ''Film/Sunrise'' which won an Oscar for ''BestArtisticProduction'' at the first Academy Awards. Murnau subsequently struggled in America but lasted till 1931, when he made an ambitious film shot in Tahiti about Polynesians, remarkable for its ValuesResonance in how it portrays the plight of two lovers trapped both by island traditions and ruthless colonialist capitalism.