Asta Nielsen 1881- 1972 Known as the “first great international star,” Asta Nielsen was
Asta Nielsen 1881- 1972 Known as the “first great international star,” Asta Nielsen was a Danish silent film actress. Asta was born in poverty and raised by a single mother. Asta went to theater school in her teens. At the age of 18, Asta had a child. Despite the stigmata against unwed mothers at the turn of the century, she refused to marry the father. According to Asta: “Having a child seems incredibly important to me; but having a husband not at all so.” x In 1902 Asta began acting professionally in Denmark and in 1910 she was in the movie The Abyss. This film marked the beginning of serious acting for Asta and for film. Typically silent films featured exaggerated movements and expressions- Asta's naturalness ushered in an era of dramatic filmmaking. After taking the stage in Denmark Asta moved to Germany. There she took on a plethora of roles, from esteemed heroines to society girls to androgenous roles. Asta was known for her lewd dancing, something that would cause many of her films to be banned or mutilated by censors in the United States. One of Asta’s most thought provoking roles was her film Hamlet, in which Asta plays the role of Hamlet. While a woman playing a role written for a man was important, the actress added another twist when she played Hamlet as a woman disguised as a man. This is possibly one of the most original interpretations of the play, one that puzzled many contemporaries. It would probably be criticized even today. Scenes between Hamlet and Horatio, and Hamlet and Fortinbras are clearly coded as gay. Asta’s performance ignites very modern thoughts about gender perception and sexuality. Like many silent film performers, Asta retired with the introduction of the talkie. She returned to stage acting and wrote an autobiography. She began a fruitful literary career at the age of 65. At 86 Asta directed her first film. She spent her later life until her death traveling with her third husband and writing. -- source link
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