Die zweite Frau (1917)

Germany in the 19th century. Baron von Mainau marries the impoverished Countess Liane Trachtenberg because he needs a wife to raise his children. She is willing to enter this marriage of convenience, as it offers the countess both social and financial security. Through her sensible and calm manner, the Baron’s second wife—as the film’s title puts it—gradually brings order and structure to the household, and ultimately even wins her husband’s love. But Liane also uncovers a dark family secret of the Mainaus: there is an Indian woman whom the castle lord’s father once married, before dying under mysterious circumstances. In addition, the power-hungry and unscrupulous Uncle Gisbert is lurking about, while a ghostly Jesuit—a gaunt, terrifying figure with jet-black hair and a piercing gaze—makes another villain. With the kindness of her heart, the unsuspecting countess manages to expose any intrigues and bring light back into her husband’s life.