Overview
A clever film exposes the hypocrisy lurking behind wealth and power.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- theatrical
- satirical
- classic cinema night
- silent film showcase
What critics said
Critics broadly regard this compact silent adaptation as a stylish and sharply observed treatment of hypocrisy, strengthened by Murnau's direction and Emil Jannings's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The grandson screens a film based on Molière's Tartuffe to reveal the governess's hypocrisy.
Murnau's silent presentation and the staged Tartüff episode externalize hypocrisy through theatrical performance and visual contrast.
Tartüff and the governess are linked by fraudulent piety and covetous manipulation of inheritance.
The governess covets the millionaire grandfather's inheritance and uses hypocrisy to influence him.
Films like Tartuffe, and why
The Last Laugh
silent-era social satire centered on hypocrisy, manipulation, and theatrical performance
Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler
expressionist silent drama using visual design and moral corruption to expose social deception
Faust
Murnau-directed silent classic combining melodrama, visual stylization, and critique of bourgeois morality
Movie Details
- Director
- F. W. Murnau
- Release Date
- 1926-01-25
- Runtime
- 70 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (80)
Cast
- Emil Jannings
- Werner Krauss
- Lil Dagover
- Hermann Picha
- Rosa Valetti
- André Mattoni
- Lucie Höflich
- Camilla Horn
Common questions
- What is Tartuffe about?
- A young man weaponizes Molière's satire to rescue his grandfather from a scheming hypocrite.
- What is Tartuffe like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tartuffe as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Tartuffe violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Tartuffe.
- What did critics think of Tartuffe?
- Critics broadly regard this compact silent adaptation as a stylish and sharply observed treatment of hypocrisy, strengthened by Murnau's direction and Emil Jannings's performance.
- Which films are like Tartuffe?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Laugh, Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, and Faust.
- How long is Tartuffe?
- Tartuffe runs 70 minutes.
