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From the Life of the Marionettes (1980): Cast, Box Office & Plot

From the Life of the Marionettes (1980) movie poster

From the Life of the Marionettes is a 1980 drama directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Robert Atzorn as Peter Egerman, Christine Buchegger and Rita Russek. It runs 1 hour 44 minutes and earned $4,293 worldwide.

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From the Life of the Marionettes (1980) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 44m (104 min)
Director
Ingmar Bergman
Genre
Drama
Original language
German
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is From the Life of the Marionettes About?

The premise of From the Life of the Marionettes without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

The film contrasts a dreamlike intimacy with the stark reality of murder. As Peter and Katarina stand at a marital crossroads, he brutally kills a burlesque dancer, dwarfing their domestic quarrels. The narrative then backtracks, sketching the fragile, tense bond between them and probing why a German bourgeois husband would commit such a crime.

From the Life of the Marionettes Themes & Keywords

· 43 tags
  • male frontal nudity
  • male nudity
  • germany
  • existential crisis
  • existential loneliness
  • gay
  • female pubic hair
  • male rear nudity
  • female topless nudity
  • bare chested male
  • female full frontal nudity
  • male pubic hair
+31 more
  • pubic hair
  • male full frontal nudity
  • female rear nudity
  • female frontal nudity
  • dream
  • death
  • epilogue
  • prologue
  • mother son relationship
  • psychoanalyst
  • psychoanalysis
  • homosexuality
  • nonlinear timeline
  • black and white to color
  • chapters
  • dead woman
  • psychodrama
  • middle class
  • agonizing
  • female nudity
  • homosexual
  • nudity
  • murder
  • prostitution
  • nightmare
  • necrophilia
  • sex
  • sex killer
  • peep show
  • strangulation
  • unhappy marriage
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Cast & crew

From the Life of the Marionettes Cast & Characters

Robert Atzorn leads the cast as Peter Egerman, with Christine Buchegger as Katarina Egerman and Rita Russek as Katharina Krafft. Directed by Ingmar Bergman; 12 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in From the Life of the Marionettes

· 8 more
From the director

More from Ingmar Bergman

More films directed by Ingmar Bergman, best-rated first: The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Persona and The Magician.

Full filmography
Plot

From the Life of the Marionettes Plot Summary

What happens in From the Life of the Marionettes from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Peter Egermann visits a Munich prostitute named Ka and, in a moment of shocking violence, murders her, followed by an act of necrophilia that becomes the center of a grueling investigation. The coroner’s questions probe the lives of Peter’s circle, searching for a motive or a hidden pattern that could explain such a crime. The drama unfolds through the testimonies and reactions of those who knew him, painting a portrait of a man whose private world is tangled with desire, fear, and a startling lack of self-awareness.

Full summary

The whole story of From the Life of the Marionettes, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

From the Life of the Marionettes Box Office

From the Life of the Marionettes grossed $4,293 worldwide.

1980 box office

Worldwide gross

$4.3K

International
$4.3K
Quiz

How Well Do You Know From the Life of the Marionettes?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who is the man who murders Ka?

Details

From the Life of the Marionettes Also Known As

15 alternative titles, including “Fra marionetternes liv” and “Un mondo di marionette”.

Also known as
  • Fra marionetternes liv
  • Un mondo di marionette
  • De la vie des marionnettes
  • De la vida de las marionetas
  • Ur marionetternas liv
  • Из жизни марионеток
  • 마리오네트의 생
  • Из живота на марионетките
  • Z życia marionetek
  • 傀儡生涯
  • Μαριονέττες
  • Marionettien elämästä
+3 more
  • Jelenetek a bábuk életéből
  • Ze života loutek
  • Da Vida das Marionetes

Seen From the Life of the Marionettes?

FAQ

From the Life of the Marionettes FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of From the Life of the Marionettes, each answered in a sentence.

How long is From the Life of the Marionettes?

From the Life of the Marionettes runs 1 hour 44 minutes (104 minutes).

When was From the Life of the Marionettes released?

From the Life of the Marionettes was released on July 13, 1980.

Who directed From the Life of the Marionettes?

From the Life of the Marionettes was directed by Ingmar Bergman.

More films by Ingmar Bergman

Who is in the cast of From the Life of the Marionettes?

From the Life of the Marionettes stars Robert Atzorn as Peter Egerman, Christine Buchegger as Katarina Egerman and Rita Russek as Katharina Krafft, among 12 credited actors.

How much did From the Life of the Marionettes make at the box office?

From the Life of the Marionettes grossed $4,293 worldwide.

Does From the Life of the Marionettes have a post-credit scene?

No. From the Life of the Marionettes has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is From the Life of the Marionettes in?

The original language of From the Life of the Marionettes is German.

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