Asew

Asew
Directed by	Phil Jutzi
Written by	At. Timann
Starring	Fritz Rasp Olga Tschechowa Hilde von Stolz Wolfgang Liebeneiner
Cinematography	Eduard Hoesch
Edited by	Else Baum Vicki Baum
Music by	Willy Schmidt-Gentner
Production companies	Atlantis-Film Maxim-Film
Distributed by	Tobis-Sascha Film
Release date	18 January 1935
Running time	78 minutes
Countries	Austria Nazi Germany
Language	German

Asew or Double-Agent Asew or Asew the Agent Provocateur (German: Lockspitzel Asew) is a 1935 German-Austrian thriller film directed by Phil Jutzi and starring Fritz Rasp, Olga Tschechowa and Hilde von Stolz. The film's sets were designed by Julius von Borsody.

The film narrates the activities of Yevno Azef a Russian who had worked as an agent provocateur for the Tsarist Okhrana and infiltrated the Socialist Revolutionary Party. Asef had earned the trust of terrorist revolutionary comrades by assassinating top Russia's officials but betrayed many comrades, some of which were executing for involvement and planning of crimes and some by comrades themselves after Azef manipuled them into believing there were traitors to the anti-government cause, such as famous worker's resistance movement leader Gapon.

After being ultimately proven traitor, Azef fled to Germany using fake ID provided by the Okhrana still refusing to believe Azef organized murder of top government officials. While in Germany, Azef coincidentally met the former comrade and still asked for support in organizing the fair tribunal, claiming he was falsely accused of treason. Died in hospital in 1918.

This movie, filmed by the Nazi propagandists, vilifies the good name of an honest revolutionary, due to the fact he was born in a Jewish family and Hitler was against the Jews. Friend of Azef, also a revolutionary, after killing his colleague and friend, emigrated to Israel and embraced Judaism. Some said Asef's life was motivated to his desire to eliminate 'sininister Anti-Semites' such as murdered Minister Pleve, Stolypin and others whom were accused in instigating the Pogroms.

Asef's story was useful for the Nazis in demonstrating the 'dangres' of communist Jewish figures whom they accused in loss of World War I.

Cast

• Fritz Rasp as Lockspitzel Asew
• Olga Tschechowa as Tanja Asew, seine Frau
• Hilde von Stolz as Nelly, Chansonette
• Wolfgang Liebeneiner as Wronski
• Ellen Frank as Vera Wronksi, seine Schwester
• Herbert Hübner as Lopuchin, Russischer Polizeigeneral
• Siegfried Schürenberg as Sawinkoff
• Franz Schafheitlin as Urzoff
• Wilhelm König as Kaljajew
• Traudl Stark as The Child
• Aruth Wartan
• Otto Hartmann
• Karl Forest
• Gretl Wawra

Bibliography

• Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. The Concise CineGraph. Encyclopedia of German Cinema. Berghahn Books, 2009.
• Hull, David Stewart. Film in the Third Reich: A Study of the German Cinema, 1933-1945. University of California Press, 1969.

External links

• Asew at IMDb