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Reviews
Liebe ist nur ein Wort (1971)
Surprisingly modern adaptation
This surprisingly modern and elegantly directed film is by far one of the best post-war German melodramas and could easily be compared with "Love story", which clearly had an influence on this film. Leaving out most of the critical elements the novel had in its portrayal of West-Germany's post war society and updating the story to the early seventies the films lacks the historical relevance of the book, but leaves more room for an exercise in style and emotion. Performances are all excellent and it is a pity that newcomer Malte Thorsten did not get another chance in the German cinema of the seventies. Judy Winter is perfect as the initially reserved, then more and more enamored wife and Herbert Fleischmann gives an impressive portrait of well-mannered evil, very much in the tradition of Hitchcock and Chabrol. The main musical theme by Erich Ferstl is catchy and the hand-held camera superb. Unfortunately, most German critics of the time were focusing only on the works of Fassbinder, Schloendorff and Herzog, but the film was a big hit in the theaters, sold well internationally and earned Malte Thorsten a well-deserved German film award.
Alraune (1929)
Closer to the book
This 1930 version of the German fantasy classic "Alraune" is a more faithful adaptation of the book than its more famous 1928 silent film predecessor and follows very much the story line of its literary source. Brigitte Helm, one of Europe's most intriguing vamps of the 20s and early 30s this time gives a different interpretation of the same part she had in the silent version two years ago. She not only portrays Alraune, the artificially created girl who brings down men by the dozen but also her mother, a prostitute who agrees to take part in an experiment of artificial insemination and even performs as a singer in a bar reminiscent of "The blue angel" (which was produced around the same time). In this film, Alraune, when finding out about her true identity, feels remorse over her deeds and in the end commits suicide. The film, much more than the silent version, is a daring mix of sex and crime and must have been rather scandalous at its time. Oswald does an excellent job in recreating the atmosphere of Wilhelminian Germany in the beginning of the film and then creates sexual tension and suspense in the house of Professor ten Brinken, where Alraune plays around with men like the toys in her bedroom. Great performances by Albert Bassermann as her creator/ stepfather who falls for her and Harald Paulsen, who also starred in Oswalds horror classic "Unheimliche Geschichten". Another classic from the rich period of German cinema before 1933 and a film that could never have been made that way in Hollywood.
Feuerwerk (1954)
Charming Musical
If there is such a thing like a German Musical - this is it: Glamorous, colorful, star-driven, funny and with some great songs, including the famous "Oh mein Papa", here sung by extremely pleasant to watch Lili Palmer. When a circus comes to a small German town, one of the families find out that the director is the long-lost brother of the respectful head of the family, a fact they would prefer to hide. The circus director's lovely wife manages to save the day and keep the daughter from running away with the circus. Also one of the early performances of Romy Schneider, pre-"Sissi", and you can understand why the German audience fell for her.
Kronprinz Rudolfs letzte Liebe (1956)
Morbid and mysterious...
This is one of the more interesting and underestimated Austrian films of the fifties, especially if you compare it to the typical "imperial" melodramas a la "Sissi" with Romy Schneider. The story of the unhappy and depressive crown prince Rudolf has been filmed several times, but never in such a fascinating and deeply morbid way. Rudolf Prack's performance is probably the best of his whole career, Christiane Hörbiger's debut is moving but not too sweet (in fact she is playing much harsher and more realistic a part that would have been tailor-made for young Romy Schneider). Lil Dagover, the "Grand Dame" of German cinema delivers a convincing portrait of the "old" empress Elisabeth (Sissi), trying to get away from her husband as often as possible and leaving her son to desperation and loneliness. The way Jugert uses color is remarkable and completely different from other German or Austrian films of that period. Everything is dark and gloomy and the coloured walls, curtains and tapestries seem to be as overripe and decaying as the whole house of Habsburg. Don't miss the gloomy beginning with the burials of Rudolph and his young mistress which sets the atmosphere for the rest of the film.
Ich werde dich auf Händen tragen (1958)
Great but sometimes disturbing melodrama
"Ich werde dich auf Händen tragen" was the last on-screen collaboration between Harlan and his wife/ leading lady Kristina Söderbaum and his last film as a movie director. Technically, it is one of his finest and most mature films that provides elements of his previous work (nature, a man between two, in this case rather four women)in a melodrama that also pays tribute to Hitchcock and Sirk (whose films Harlan must have seen by that time). Söderbaum's acting is subtle and right for the part, Harlan's ex-wife Körber delivers a stunning performance as the jealous and rather unpleasant housekeeper, whereas Günther Pfitzmann has surprisingly funny moments of comic relief. The real surprise here is the child actress, who plays the little daughter with a mixture of naivety and malice, rather different than any portrayal of a child character in German cinema of the fifties. Yet there are some irritating moments in the film, one of them a scene in which a priest on the train tells the little girl to accept guilt and punishment (in this case to be beaten for running away!).
Die goldene Stadt (1942)
Emotional and beautifully shot
Emotional and beautifully shot, "Die goldene Stadt" was one of the biggest hits of German cinema in the forties, not only in Nazi-Germany, but all over Europe. It was Harlan's first feature film in Agfacolor and clearly his use of color is not as elaborate yet as in "Immensee" or "Opfergang", but still quite impressive, especially in Söderbaum's vision of the "golden city" and the finale on the moors. Söderbaum's acting has a natural and sometimes dreamlike quality - no doubt she was one of the stars of European cinema the camera really loved. There are some ideological undertones reflecting the political climate, but certainly not more than in Russian oder American films of that period.