The Man You Loved to Hate

The documentary is about Erich von Stroheim. The man worked both in front of the camera and behind it. As an actor he was known for playing villains. As a director he was known for how meticulous he was. That meticulousness caused him trouble as well. His career ran across decades. The documentary follows those years step by step. People who worked with him are interviewed. Photographs and documents are used. Passages from his best known works are shown. There are pieces from lesser known productions too. The account gives both the man on screen and the man behind the camera. Footage of Erich von Stroheim is used in the ninety minute documentary, an American production Patrick Montgomery finished in 1979.