The Women House of Brescia
| The Women House of Brescia | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Das Frauenhaus von Brescia | |
| Directed by | Hubert Moest |
| Produced by | Hubert Moest |
| Written by |
Hubert Moest Karl Hans Strobl |
| Based on | Das Frauenhaus von Brescia by Karl Hans Strobl |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Georg Schubert |
| Distributed by | Moest-Film GmbH & Co. |
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Release date
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1920, Germany |
| Country | Germany |
| Language |
Silent German intertitles |
The Women House of Brescia (German: Das Frauenhaus von Brescia) is a 1920 German-language silent film directed by Hubert Moest. The film's alternative name was The House of Pillory. The film was considered highly controversial for the depiction of prostitution. The film's story was set in medieval Europe during the fourteenth century. The film was based on Karl Hans Strobl's novel Das Frauenhaus von Brescia. The Pillory houses were the places where enemy women captured during wartime were imprisoned so that the people could exploit them as they wished. The depiction of prostitution was the basis for the picture's rejection by the British Board of Film Classification in 1921 and its being banned in Germany.
In 1311 the coronation of King Henry of the Lombards takes place. After becoming the king he wages war against Italy and Brescia (ruled by Francesco de Barbiano). While campaigning, he sends for his queen, Margaret (Gertrude Welcker), who along with her ladies-in-waiting is captured and imprisoned by Barbiano. Barbiano orders the women to be sent to the House of Pillory. One of her maids, Roswitha (Hedda Vernon), impersonates the queen and asks him to leave the other women safe and capture only her. As a result, she is brought to the house of pillory where people hold a mock coronation with a crown of straw to humiliate her. She is forced into prostitution.
Two captured men, Gottwald (the queen's escort) and Herbolo (Roswitha's fiance), flee from the house and inform Henry of the event. He is agitated after hearing all the information and vows to attack Brescia in vengeance. Meanwhile, in Brescia, Roswitha quickly gains popularity among the menfolk for her beauty and this makes their wives grow jealous of her. The women demand that Roswitha be handed over to them. They attack the pillory. Luigi, the local hangman, is killed during the struggle and Roswitha is led to the public stocks. Before anything happens to her, a nobleman, Alessandro, who knows her true identity and is in love with her, comes to rescue her.
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Wikipedia