Where to Watch
Checking availability in your country…
Cast
Ernst Becker
as Lord Ruthven
Victor Colani
as Bernhard von Trepow
Paula de Waart
as Hendriks' Frau Maud
Adolphe Engers
as Willem Hendriks
Fritz Epstein
as Peter
Elvira Erdmann
as Kundry von Ahrstein
Coen Hissink
as Count Stanislaus Larinski
Eduard Ijdo
as Geoffrey Gill
Koba Kinsbergen
as Mariska
Hans Lindegg
as Werner
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1922
Runtime1h 28m
LanguageNo Language
CertificationNR
GenresDrama
Votes—
DirectorErnst Winar
WritersHeinz Salomon
TypeFeature Film
Rating0.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsThe man in the background
About The man in the background
The guests at Count Otto von Trepow's East Prussian estate Gross-Ehrenfeld are Lord and Lady Ruthven, Mr Hendriks with his wife and foster-daughter Mariska, a gypsy they adopted years ago, Kundry, the fiancée of Otto's son Bernhard, and Count Stanislaus Larinski, who claims to be a Polish revolutionary wanted by the Russian government. A boating trip is organized but ends when the motor breaks down. While waiting for it to be repaired, the guests go to an inn run by Andreas and his daughter Käthe. Hendriks goes for a walk, sees the boat come back and that a man with a bent back leaves it. He notices that Kundry is afraid of Bernhard.
Directed by Ernst Winar, The man in the background leans on a strong ensemble — Ernst Becker, Victor Colani, Paula de Waart — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1922.
Read More on the Blog
You Might Also Like
More like The man in the background, picked from what people are watching
7.2Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl
1998 7.2
Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year later, she agrees to go to even more remote spot with a Tibetan saddle tramp Lao Jin to learn horse herding.
Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl
1998
5.9Georgetown
2019 5.9
Ulrich Mott is an eccentric and versatile social climber with grandiose plans to affect United States foreign policy. Encouraged in his attempts by his strategically chosen (and much older) wife, the well-connected journalist Elsa Brecht, Mott has a knack for making himself indispensable and impossible to ignore. The only one seemingly immune to his charms is Elsa's daughter Amanda, who might simply disapprove of her mother marrying a much younger man - or perhaps she senses something more sinister beneath the smooth-talking surface?
Georgetown
2019
5.8Someday We'll Tell Each Other Everything
2023 5.8
Set in a warm summer in 1990 in former East Germany, it follows a young woman who begins a relationship with a charismatic farmer who is twice her age.
Someday We'll Tell Each Other Everything
2023
6.1Mansfield Park
2007 6.1
Fanny Price is sent to live with her wealthy relatives, the Bertrams, where she is treated poorly by most except her cousin Edmund. Her life is complicated by the arrival of the worldly Mary and Henry Crawford
Mansfield Park
2007
6.7Girl in the Box
2016 6.7
The true story of 20-year-old Colleen Stan, a hitchhiking woman abducted by a young couple and held captive for seven years, during which time she's tortured and forced to live as a slave to her captors.
Girl in the Box
2016
7.0The Young One
1960 7.0
A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.
The Young One
1960
User Reviews
0.0
Community rating
Loading reviews…
From the Blog
All Posts
News
Michael OTT Release Date: The Michael Jackson Biopic Streams August 29
The Michael Jackson biopic arrives on JioHotstar on August 29, 2026. Here is where to watch it, what you need, and why it is one of the year’s biggest music films.
News
Jana Nayagan OTT Release Date: When Vijay’s Film Streams on ZEE5
Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan is headed to ZEE5 for its digital premiere. Here is the latest on its OTT release date and where to watch, updated as news is confirmed.
Guides
What Should I Watch Tonight? How to Decide in 5 Minutes
The average person spends more time scrolling than watching. Here's a 5-minute method to pick tonight's movie or show by mood, not by endless browsing.