After Goethe, Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811) is the playwright and writer who did the most to fuel the Romantic movement in German literature. A troubled and brilliant man, he committed suicide at age 34, and his life was the paradigm for that of a tragic romantic artist. Penthesilea was among his better known works. This biographical film explores the circumstances leading up to and immediately following his suicide. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi