Kabale und Liebe (Intrigue And Love)

1959, b/w, 109 min. Feature
Dir.: Martin Hellberg
Script: Martin Hellberg
Camera: Karl Plintzner
Music: Wilhelm Neef
Cast: Wolf Kaiser, Otto Mellies, Karola Ebeling, Marion van de Kamp
VHS-NTSC, English subtitles:

Synopsis:

Ferdinand von Walther, the son of President von Walther, is in love with Luise, the daughter of the town musician, Miller. Yet, this love is not in keeping with the young man's social station and stands in the way of the President's high-flown plans: Ferdinand is to marry the duke's mistress, Lady Milford, thereby shoring up his father's influence at court. But Ferdinand balks at this. He loves Luise too much and would not even dream of considering a forced marriage to the Lady. Wurm, a bourgeois upstart and the President's right hand, has likewise fallen for Luise. With his master's consent, he craftily sets up an intrigue to which Ferdinand falls victim. Luise, too, is forced by this courtly cabal to renounce her relationship to Ferdinand, who, after poisoning her, takes his own life. A film of monumental scenery and historical costumes. Director Hellberg opens a new view onto one of the most important plays of classical German literature. Based on the drama by Friedrich Schiller.