"Rocker" is a West German German-language film from 1972, so this one will have its 45th anniversary next year. The writer and director is Klaus Lemke and he was in his early 30s when he shot this one, his probably most known work. Almost half a century later, he is still working in the film industry. This is possibly his career-defining work and the title already tells you what it is about, namely the rock music scene in Hamburg, but it's not just the music, it is also the culture. This one runs for 85 minutes approximately and it is mostly about the fate of Mark, a teenage boy who has to deal with the death of his brother among other things. Early on you probably wouldn't think that he is the protagonist here, but the longer the movie goes, the more screen time he gets. It's also about him making new friends and also a bit of a revenge film.
What I liked most about this one was the characters. Yes they may be over the top, but somehow they still feel authentic and like people that you could actually meet in Hamburg if you frequent the right locations and hang out with the right people. So yeah, it is really all about the characters. I would not say the story is a failure, but it's mostly mediocre and lacks certainly compared to the people that this film is about and who make it so entertaining on some occasions. So it's not too interesting in all areas, but still good enough to let me recommend it. It is also a great example of film that deals with "Zeitgeschichte" of a time that may have been over for several decades now. Thumbs up from me and I can partially see why this one here is considered a cult by many. I would maybe not go so far, but I do believe it is worth seeing and it felt like a documentary on many occasions. Great music too.
What I liked most about this one was the characters. Yes they may be over the top, but somehow they still feel authentic and like people that you could actually meet in Hamburg if you frequent the right locations and hang out with the right people. So yeah, it is really all about the characters. I would not say the story is a failure, but it's mostly mediocre and lacks certainly compared to the people that this film is about and who make it so entertaining on some occasions. So it's not too interesting in all areas, but still good enough to let me recommend it. It is also a great example of film that deals with "Zeitgeschichte" of a time that may have been over for several decades now. Thumbs up from me and I can partially see why this one here is considered a cult by many. I would maybe not go so far, but I do believe it is worth seeing and it felt like a documentary on many occasions. Great music too.