简介：GottholdEphraimLessingpublishedhis"dramaticpoem"in1779asadirectresponsetocensurebyofficialorthodoxreligiouscircles,towhichhewassubjectafterpublishingaworkbySamuelReimarusthatwascriticalofreligion.HesethisstoryinJerusalematthetimeoftheCrusades,whereChristians,JewsandMuslimswereinconstantandcloseconfrontation.Itthreatenstoendtragicallyinreligiousconflict,butthemaincharactersucceeds,withinsightandshrewdness,inreconcilingthereligiouscommunities.Lessing'sdramaisacknowledgedinGermanliteraryhistoryasa"humanistmanifesto"thatdefends"religioustoleranceandthefreedomofideas".ScriptwriterHansKyseradaptedthedramatogreatcinematiceffect,incorporatingasapowerfulprologue,theopeningepisodethatLessingresolvedonlyattheendofhisdrama.ManfredNoausedthebrutalityoftheCrusadesandtheirexoticsettingtostagevisuallyimpressivecrowdscenes.Experiencedactorsfrombox-officehitsweremagnificentintheleadingroles,amongthemWernerKrauss(DasCabinetdesDr.Caligari/TheCabinetofDr.CaligaribyRobertWiene)asNathan,andCarldeVogt(DieSpinnen/TheSpidersbyFritzLang)asayoungTemplarknight.Asintheoriginaldrama,thisemotionallychargedproductionendsinanimpassionedpleaforreasonandfortolerancetowardspeopleofotherfaiths. On21stSeptember1922thefilm,NathanderWeisewassubmittedforassessmenttotheMunichBoardofFilmCensors(FilmprüfstelleMünchen)whichwithheldapprovalofitsreleasebecausethefilm"appearsextraordinarilysuitedtojeopardizingpublicorderandsecurity".ThesecondchamberoftheMunichBoardofFilmCensorsreachedadifferentverdict:"It[thechamber]agreedwiththeassessmentinsofarasthetimeofthefilm'sreleaseistheleastfavourableimaginable,andthatperhapsthoughnotprobablymisledrowdiesinplacesstronglycharacterisedbyanti-Semitismmightriot,yetitaccordinglyfoundthatanyblameforthisliesnotwiththefilmbutrather,withpeople'simproperattitudesandthat,ultimately,banningthefilmwouldbenoprotectionagainsttheexcessesofsuchpeople".Thechairmanhowever,instantlylodgedacomplaintaboutthechamber'sapprovalofthefilm'sreleasewiththeSupremeBoardofFilmCensors(Oberprüfstelle)inBerlin,arguingthatthechamber"hadnottakensufficientaccountoftheclearlyformulatedandunambiguousassessmentbyexperts". BeforetheSupremeBoardofFilmCensorshadreviewedtheinitialverdict,hostilitytowardsthefilmcontinuedinMunich,whereithadnotyetbeenreleased.ThemagazineLichtbildbühnereported"attemptsbyNazisympathiserstodestroythenegative"inOctober1922,whichwerehoweverobviouslyunsuccessful.On28thDecember1922,theSupremeBoardofFilmCensorsdismissedtheappealagainsttheMunichBoardofFilmCensor'sverdictandstressedthat,shouldan"anti-Semitichatecampaign"occur,thiswouldbeduetomotives"thathavebeenarbitrarilyattributedtothefilm'scontentbyexternalsources.Should,forsuchreasons,publicorderlaterbejeopardized,thisdangercanbeaverted(...)notbycensorshiplegislation(theLichtspielgesetz)requiringwithdrawalofthefilm,butonlybypoliceintervention". NathanderWeisewaseventuallypremieredon29thDecember1922inBerlin'sAlhambracinema,locatedontheKurfürstendamm.Theadvertisingcampaignintroducedthefilmundertheslogan,"thefilmofhumanity".On28thJanuary1923,thetradepublicationDerKinematographcarriedafull-pageannouncementdetailingthefilm'ssuccess:"Thespontaneouswildapplauseattheendofthefilmprovedwithoutashadowofdoubtthattheprevailingmoodisunambiguous"(inFilm-Echo);"Itwasheart-rending,truehumanenessthatmotivatedtheaudiencetospontaneousapplauseinthemiddleofthescene"(inthenewspaperB.Z.amMittag). InMunich,the"capitalofthe[Nazi]movement",attemptstohinderthefilm'sreleasehadnotyetbeenforgottenwhenNathanderWeisewasprogrammedtorunon9thFebruary1923atalocalcinema,Regina-Lichtspiele.Althoughasaprecautionpublicityhadbeenavoided,thefirstthreateninglettersarrivedthatveryafternoon.Thecinemaownerreceivedaphonecallthatevening,warninghimthat,"ifthefilmisnotremovedfromtheprogramme,'hisplacewillbesmashedtopiecestomorrownight'".Theowner,concernedforhisexpensivelyequippedcinema,thenturnedtoBavaria-Film.TheFebruary1923issueofLichtbildbühnereportedthat,"DirectorHoppefromBavaria(...)hastilycalledameetingwiththeappropriatepersons.Beingawareofthedangerandfromwhatsourceitwastobeexpected,itwasdecidedtogetindirectcontactwiththePartyleader,Hitler.InplaceofHitler,acertainMr.Esser,hisdeputy,receivedthegentlemen.DirectorHoppedeclaredhimselfreadytoorganiseaspecialscreeningofthefilmforMr.Esser,inorderthatthelattermightbepersonallyassuredthatthefilmwasfreeofthetendenciesattributedtoit.(...)Afterthescreening,Esserexpressedtheopinionthatthefilmwaspropagandaandwasinsistentonthispoint,despiteattemptsbyDirectorHoppetorefuteit".InthenewspaperVölkischerBeobachterof16thFebruary1923,acertainH.E.wroteaboutthe"Jewishinfiltration"oftheGermanfilmindustry:"ThefilmthatwaspresentedtousyesterdaybytheEmelkaGroupisaone-sided,cleverly-made,andwithoutquestion,technicallybrilliantfilmthatfortheseveryreasons,isevenmoreeffectiveincommunicatingitspropaganda.Twistingthefacts,itaimstoforceuponthepopulationofMunich,thestrongholdoftheanti-Semiticmovement,theopinionthatJudaismissuperiortoandmorehumanethanIslamandChristianity,andthatthefightagainstJudaismisthemostabominableinjusticeinworldhistory.Inthistimeofthemostbrutalsuppressionofthemostbasichumanrightsbyanenemywhippedintofuriesofvengeance,itisacrimetoemploysuchatrulyJewishcreation,oozingwithdishonestandhypocriticalhumanity,toforciblydriveoutoftheGermanpeoplethelastremnantsoftheirwilltoridthemselvesofslavery."SubsequentlynocinemaownerinMunichdaredtoshowthefilmagain.EvidenceofapublicscreeningexistsonlyforOctober1930. ThefilmNathanderWeiseexperienceddifficultiesabroadtoo.CensorsinWarsawbanneditin1923becauseitportrayedthe"humanitarianroleofJudaism[...]whichmightatthepresenttime,inviewoftheexecutioninMoscowofBudkiewicz,aCatholicpriest,provokeundesirablememories".InAustria,itwasreleasedon21stSeptember1923underthetitleDieTräneGottes(TheTearsofGod)andbannedinschools.TherearenorecordsofthefilmbeingshownagainafterHitlerseizedpower.Inhishistoryofcinema,VomWerdendeutscherFilmkunst(TheDevelopmentofGermanFilm,1935),OskarKalbuscalledita"typicallyJewish-influencedfilm"andclaimeditwasmerelya"didacticcostumedrama".Afterthat,thedirectorandhisfilmfellintooblivion.Lessing'sdramahasneveragainbeenadaptedforthescreentothisday. TheFilmmuseumMünchendiscoveredthefilmin1996underthetitleDieErstürmungJerusalems(TheStormingofJerusalem),inthecollectionofGosfilmofondinMoscow.TheRussianfilmarchivehadmadeablack-and-whiteduplicatenegativeofatintednitrateprintthatnolongerexists.TheoriginaltitlewasmissingandnewchaptertitleshadbeenarbitrarilyinsertedfaultsthattheFilmmuseumMünchencorrectedaswellasitrecreatedthecolourtints.…