TARTUFFE

A rich old man disinherits his grandson after being manipulated by his housekeeper, who aspires to become his sole heiress. When the young man comes to visit his grandfather, he uses a mobile film projector to show the story of Tartuffe, a film based on Moliere’s famous comedy about the rich man Orgon. During a journey, Orgon meets a mysterious man called Tartuffe, whom he become friend. Orgon’s wife, Elmire, convinces her husband that Tartuffe is an impostor who takes advantage of them. Murnau made this film while preparing what he thought would be his next work, an adaptation of the Faust myth. This version of Tartuffe was already in the works and intended for another director, but the Ufa decided to give it to the team that included Murnau as director, Emil Jannings as actor, Carl Mayer as screenwriter and Karl Freund as director of photography.