Heinrich von Kleist
Writer · Died November 21, 1811, aged 34 · Franfurt an der Oder, Germany
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 1777 – 21 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist, considered among the greatest of the 19th century. Poets of the Realist, Expressionist, Nationalist, and Existentialist movements in France and Germany saw their prototype in Kleist. His first tragedy was Die Familie Schroffenstein (The Schroffenstein Family), his second Penthesilea (1808), but more successful than either of these was his romantic play, Das Käthchen von Heilbronn (1808), a poetic drama which retained its popularity for many years. In comedy, Kleist made a name with Der zerbrochne Krug (The Broken Jug; 1808), while Amphitryon (1808), an adaptation of Molière's comedy, received critical acclaim long after his death. Die Hermannsschlacht (1809) is a dramatic work of anti-Napoleonic propaganda, that has been described by Carl Schmitt as the "greatest partisan work of all time". Kleist also wrote patriotic lyrics in the context of the Napoleonic Wars. Kleist also wrote highly influential works of narrative prose. Kleist also wrote eight masterly novellas, collected in Erzählungen (1810–11), of which Das Erdbeben in Chili (The Earthquake in Chile), Michael Kohlhaas, and Die Marquise von O… remain well-known. His stories influenced those of Franz Kafka and Friedrich Halm. Embittered by the lack of recognition accorded him by his contemporaries, particularly Goethe, he came to know an incurably sick woman, Henriette Vogel, who begged him to kill her. This gave Kleist the final incentive to end his life, and on November 21, 1811, he shot Henriette and himself on the shore of the Wannsee. The Kleist Prize, a prestigious prize for German literature, is named after him, as was the Kleist Theater in his birthplace Frankfurt an der Oder.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- October 18, 1777
- November 21, 1811 (aged 34)
- Franfurt an der Oder, Germany
- Writer
- 4 on MovieCove · 27 credits in all
Known for
What are Heinrich von Kleist's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 3
Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 3
Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1
Gentle 0 · Charged 1 · Intense 3
Steady 1 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0
Casual 0 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3
A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Heinrich von Kleist's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 4 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Heinrich von Kleist's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
27 credits, 4 with a MovieCove page.
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
The Jack Bull(1999)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Prince of Homburg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Anekdote aus dem letzten preußischen Kriege (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Der zerbrochne Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Der zerbrochne Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Der zerbrochene Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Der zerbrochene Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Il principe di Homburg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Seduction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Catherine de Heilbronn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
The Prince of Homburg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
The Marquise of O(1976)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Earthquake in Chile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Der zerbrochene Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Die Gräfin von Rathenow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Man on Horseback(1969)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Maiden, You Please Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Foundling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Der zerbrochene Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Der zerbrochene Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Amphitryon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Der zerbrochene Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Rozbitý džbán (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Broken Jug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Amphitryon: Happiness from the Clouds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Der zerbrochene Krug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Career shape
A full career of 27 titles from 1934 to 2013.
How do Heinrich von Kleist's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 4 titles divides audiences: 3 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Broadly Agreed1
Reviewers score the dialogue 57/100 and the plot and story 58/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Heinrich von Kleist work with?
People who share at least 2 of Heinrich von Kleist's MovieCove titles; Bruno Ganz shares the most, 2.
- Bruno GanzShared titles: Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas (2013), The Marquise of O (1976)See all 2 shared titles with Bruno Ganz
