Die Liebe der Maria Bonde (1918)

The Bonde family—the mother and her three daughters—live together. Frail Gunne is engaged to Martin. They work together as circus riders in a variety show. Unfortunately, Martin has been in love with Maria, the second daughter, for some time. During a performance, Gunne injures herself, and Maria takes her place and performs the dressage act. Reluctantly, Maria admits to herself that she loves Martin too. They get married but keep the wedding secret from the family. When Mother Bonde catches them kissing, they finally tell Gunne, who dies of shock. After Mother Bonde accepts the inevitable, she gives them her blessing, and the family lives happily for a while, until Maria has a child one day. This means she has to give up riding, and now Anella, the youngest daughter, performs with Martin. From then on, Maria is tormented by jealousy and despair at the thought that the same fate as Gunne’s might befall her (and rightly so!). She sees only one way out: she poisons herself.