Bruno Schleinstein
| Bruno Schleinstein | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 June 1932 |
| Died | 11 August 2010 (aged 78) |
| Other names | Bruno S. |
| Occupation | Actor, artist, musician |
| Years active | 1974–1977 |
Bruno Schleinstein (2 June 1932 – 11 August 2010), often credited as Bruno S., was a German film actor, artist, and musician. He is known internationally for his roles in two films directed by Werner Herzog, The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) and Stroszek (1976).
Schleinstein was often beaten as a child, and spent much of his youth in mental institutions. He was a largely self-taught musician, who over the years developed considerable skill on the piano, accordion, glockenspiel and handbells. He would play in back gardens performing 18th and 19th century style ballads at the weekends, while sustaining himself financially working as a forklift driver at a car plant. Schleinstein said he transmits (German: durchgeben) his songs, rather than singing them.
Schleinstein was featured in a documentary Bruno der Schwarze – Es blies ein Jäger wohl in sein Horn (1970) When Werner Herzog saw the film, he promptly cast Schleinstein (under the name Bruno S.) as his lead actor in The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974), though he had no acting experience, and the historical figure he portrayed was only in his teens. Richard Eder wrote in his review of the film, "None of it would work without a believable figure in the role. ... It is an extraordinary fit. Bruno, with his strength and vulnerability, with his head tilted back and his eyes opened wide as if to receive every signal coming in, with his gift for the unexpected gesture, not only inhabits the role but seems to have fathered it."
Schleinstein subsequently starred in Stroszek (1976), which Herzog wrote especially for him. Stroszek has a number of biographical details from Schleinstein's life, including the use of his own flat as the home of Bruno Stroszek. He also played his own instruments.
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