Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Writing

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Born January 5, 1921 · Konolfingen, Bern, Switzerland

Died December 14, 1990 · aged 69

Friedrich Dürrenmatt (5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, and macabre satire. Dürrenmatt was a member of the Gruppe Olten, a group of left-wing Swiss writers who convened regul…

Known For

The PledgeThe Pledge · 2001
The Pledge
★ 6.62001
MovieCrimeDrama
A police chief, about to retire, pledges to help a woman find her daughter's killer.
The VisitThe Visit · 1964
The Visit
★ 7.21964
MovieDrama
Carla Zachanassian had a child by Serge Miller as a teenager. When Serge refused to marry her, she was driven out of town. By her own wit and cunning, she has returned as a multi-millionaire for a visit. The town lays out the red carpet expecting big things from Carla, only to learn that her sole purpose is to see Serge Miller killed...
HyenasHyenas · 1992
Hyenas
★ 7.21992
MovieDramaComedy
A now-rich woman returns to her poor desert hometown to propose a deal to the populace: her fortune, in exchange for the death of the man who years earlier abandoned her and left her with his child.
La visite de la vieille dame
NEW
La visite de la vieille dame · 2026
La visite de la vieille dame
2026
MovieTV Movie
Adaptation for TV of the play by Friedrich Durrenmatt. A very rich old lady arrives in her nearly bankrupt native village. She is ready to come to the rescue but only if her old lover who had once abandoned her pregnant is killed.
TwilightTwilight · 1990
Twilight
★ 7.11990
MovieCrimeDrama
In the dense and murky woodlands of provincial Hungary, the search for a child murderer drags a once-respected detective into an all-consuming obsession enshrouded by irresolution and despair, even long after he has been taken off the case. What emerges is not a crime story, but a harrowing venture through the darkness of the human soul.
The Cold Light of DayThe Cold Light of Day · 1996
The Cold Light of Day
★ 5.01996
MovieDramaThriller
A troubled detective befriends a single woman and her daughter with the intention of using them as bait for a serial killer.
End of the GameEnd of the Game · 1975
End of the Game
★ 5.01975
MovieDramaCrime
Hans Baerlach is a Swiss police detective who has dedicated much of his career to pursuing powerful and allegedly murderous businessman Richard Gastmann. Though Baerlach's partner meets his demise while investigating Gastmann, his replacement, Walter Tschanz, is undaunted. Meanwhile, the lovely Anna Crawley becomes involved in the case, which proceeds to take many twists and turns.
The Most Wonderful Evening of My LifeThe Most Wonderful Evening of My Life · 1972
The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life
★ 7.21972
MovieComedyDrama
A successful businessman's destiny leads him to a secluded Swiss chalet where his life is put on trial by a group of retired law professionals. The men assemble to analyse his rise to power and his increasingly immoral behavior as he attained success, and the warped perceptions of right and wrong he has adopted to remain successful.

Filmography

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The Marriage of Mr. MississippiThe Marriage of Mr. Mississippi · 1961
The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi
★ 5.51961
MovieComedy
Florestan Mississippi, a public prosecutor by profession, visits a lady named Anastasia and, while drinking coffee with her, convicts her of poisoning her husband. At the same time, he asks for her hand in marriage, as he too has killed his wife with poison; the marriage is to be the "atonement" of the two poisoners. The four allegorical personifications in this comedy are, in addition to the loveless, absolute justice in the form of the prosecutor Mississippi, perfect equality, represented by the world revolutionary Saint-Claude, Christian love, embodied in the down-and-out, alcoholic tropical doctor Count Uebelohe-Zabernsee, and finally the "Frau Welt" of the old mystery play – Anastasia, who falls for everyone and betrays everyone, loves nothing but the moment, and dies with an invoked untruth on her lips.

Screenplay