The late 19th century was a time of widespread experimentation in new fields like electrical engineering and photography. The recent discovery of moving pictures was no exception.
Viewers were fascinated by this new medium of entertainment. By the early 20th century, audiences were growing rapidly. To meet the demand, silent films were produced based on many different themes and famous plays.
Denmark's Rising Silent Film Star
In Denmark, one rising star was gaining more and more recognition after her debut film: The Abyss was released in 1910. After several years of stage acting, Asta Nielsen's success in this early movie encouraged her to continue making silent films. When it became apparent that her talent was not understood by the Danish film industry, she moved with her husband, director Urban Gad, to Germany. Here she became known as "Die Asta" by her German fans.
In 1911 Asta Nielsen was voted the world's top female movie star and was soon the highest paid film star in the world. In 1915 she visited New York to study American film techniques. But Nielsen's films were heavily censored in the United States because of their erotic nature, and her work remained relatively unknown to American audiences.
A Harsh, Late 19th Century Childhood
Born in Copenhagen in 1881, Asta Nielsen was the daughter of a blacksmith and washerÂwoman. Their earnings were often very meager. Her father struggled with unemployment, and died when Asta was fourteen. Living under such harsh conditions, must have impressed on her at an early age, how hard a struggle life could be.
So much exposure to hardship and tragedy in her own life, was perhaps the reason she sought a life in the theater. At eighteen, Asta was accepted as an acting student at the Royal Danish Theatre School.
A year before her graduation in 1902, she gave birth to a daughter. Her mother and sister helped her raise the child, while she continued with her acting studies.
Finding Her Way into Films
After graduation Asta Nielsen worked for several years on stages in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. But acting live, on stage, was to her disadvantage because of her deep and uneven voice. As a stage actress, she was not at her best. However, once she had a chance to perform in films, her riveting, physical attraction brought her remarkable reviews.
Thus, her dramatic genius was clearly destined for the genre of the silent film.
A Powerful Acting Styles all Her Own
Asta Nielsen's greatness as an actress lies in her natural performing style. She could play characters in varying psychological states. Portraying women from various social strata without resorting to exaggerated dramatization was also a unique talent she possessed.
As one of Germany's most loved and appreciated film stars, "Die Asta" continued working in Germany until sound movies became popular. She made one feature movie with sound, but could not adapt her voice to the genre and retired from the screen. From then on she only worked on the stage.
Turning Down Even Greater Fame and Wealth
In 1936, Joseph Goebbels wanted to set her up in her own film studio, but she was not interested in promoting Nazi Germany and moved back to Denmark. This speaks highly of Asta Nielsen's personal integrity and values. Unlike her Swedish colleagues in Berlin, she must have sensed the extent of the atrocities that Nazism was capable of and wanted no part in it.
Once WWII broke out, Asta Nielsen's greatness took on a new form. Her understanding of human suffering, and deep compassion for others in need, led her to send money to a young Dane (Allan Hagedorff) living in Germany, who used it to assist Jews. Because of her support, Hagedorff could send so many food parcels to Theresienstadt's concentration camp that he was warned by the Gestapo.
A Unique, Personal Archive of Acting History
Asta Nielsen died in 1972, but fortunately she had saved much of her correspondence, newspaper articles and photos. This extensive material has recently been donated to Lund University in Sweden. Film researchers and other historians now have access to an invaluable personal archive. The intimate writings and images of this archive, can reveal an even greater understanding of this early 20th century film idol's life, the pathos in her art, and the complex historical times she lived in.
Janet Boynton Runeson
March, 2012
Lund, Sweden
About the Author: Janet Boynton Runeson is a freelance web copywriter and director of Entrepreneurial Copy. She specializes in cultural awareness.
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