Tartuffe (1925)

 F.W. Murnau's "Tartuffe"


It is hard to argue film's importance. Not only is it a mirror to the world around you, but it can also demonstrate how flawed your thinking is or grant you a new perspective. Sometimes, you will watch a film and think, "that's happening to me!" Well, with F.W. Murnau's 1925 film "Tartuffe," that's exactly what happened. 

Normally, when people think of Murnau, they think of German Expressionism or films with dark or serious subject matter. With "Tartuffe," Murnau tries his hand at comedy. Because of how 'off-brand' "Tartuffe" is, many film critics hail it as 'underrated' amongst the Murnau oeuvre. But, how does this film comment on the nature of film? Well, Murnau takes Moliere's 1664 play and creates a framing device around it. A film version of Moliere's play is being shown by a grandson to his grandfather so as to warn him of his housekeeper's trickery. The grandson, an actor, finds that his grandfather's housekeeper is manipulating and poisoning him. On top of that, she is convincing him to make her the inheritor of all his money. So, the grandson puts on a disguise and shows his grandfather and his housekeeper a film version of "Tartuffe." In the film, a couple is driven apart by a husband's new religious friend named Tartuffe. Tartuffe is manipulative and steals money from the couple. To catch him in the act, the wife stages a love scene with Tartuffe. Tartuffe is caught and exiled from the home. After the film is over, the grandson shows his grandfather the vile of poison the housekeeper has been putting in his drinks. The housekeeper is exiled. 

Perhaps this is the first 'film-within-a-film' that was ever created. But, that cannot be said for certain, as there are plenty of lost films whose contents are unknown. What is known is that this framing device allows Murnau to comment on the nature of the film itself. While the 'film-within-a-film' allowed the characters to discover aspects of their life that they were blind to, the Murnau film you are watching emplores you to do the same. In the end, a title card asks the viewer to consider who might be the hypocrites in your life. A staged production was able to help the characters in the 'film-within-a-film' discover the truth. The 'film-within-a-film' was able to help the grandfather understand the truth. Perhaps Murnau's "Tartuffe" is able to help you understand a truth that exists in your life.



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