|
Nielsen began her film career in 1909, starring in director
Urban Gad's 1910 tragedy Afgrunden ("The Abyss").
Nielsen's minimalist acting style was evidenced in her successful
portrayal of a naive young woman lured into a tragic life. Her
overt sexuality in the film's "gaucho dance" scene
established the erotic quality for which Nielsen became known. The
film's success encouraged her to continue making silent films.
Nielsen and Gad married and, after making several films, they
moved to Germany because her talent was not understood by the
Danish film industry.
In 1911 she was contracted to German producer Paul Davidson for
$80,000 a year, then the highest salary for a film star. Nielsen
is called the first international movie star, challenged only by
French comic Max Linder, also famous throughout Europe and in
America by that time. In a Russian popularity poll of 1911 Nielsen
was voted the world's top female movie star, behind Linder and
ahead of her Danish compatriot Valdemar Psilander. She remained
popular on both sides through World War I and in 1915 (before the
United States' entry into it) she visited New York City to study
American film techniques.
In 1924 she was famously co-starred with that other great
Scandinavian diva, Greta Garbo, months before Garbo left for
Hollywood and MGM. Nielsen continued as a legend of the screen in
Germany. After the Nazis came to power she was offered her own
studio by propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. Understanding the
implications well, she instead fled the country home to Denmark.
She worked in film until start of sound movies. Nielsen made
only one feature movie with sound, but was unable to adapt and
retired from the sreen. Thereafter, Nielsen acted only on stage.
Nielsen left Germany in 1936 after the rise of Nazism, returning
to Denmark where she wrote articles on art and politics and a
two-volume autobiography.
She is considered to be a great movie actress because of her
talent of adapting her performing style in accordance with the
demands of the film media avoiding theatrical manners. Besides,
she was able to play women of extremely various social positions
as well as of different psychology. |
