Why were Ernst Lubitsch’s costume dramas important to the international German film industry?

Ernst Lubitsch’s elaborate costume dramas (Kostümfilme) were instrumental to the international German film industry because they were among the first German productions to be shown abroad following World War I. By producing these lavish historical pageants, such as Madame Du Barry (1919), Anna Boleyn (1920), and Das Weib des Pharao (1922), Lubitsch helped the German cinema gain a vital foothold in the global market.123

These films were significant for the following reasons:

• Market Competitiveness: After the war, the German film industry sought to compete internationally. Lubitsch’s work demonstrated that German studios could produce high-quality, large-scale spectacles capable of appealing to worldwide audiences.32
• Industry Prestige: These historical pageants served as the first peacetime productions of the government-subsidized conglomerate UFA, helping to establish the studio's reputation and upgrade the overall quality of German filmmaking.32
• Foundation for Growth: By successfully exporting these films, Lubitsch provided the industry with the international presence necessary to sustain its "golden age" during the Weimar Republic.32