The Little Witch (5 Stars)

Film Review: Die Kleine Hexe (2018) starring Karoline Herfurth

"Die Kleine Hexe" (The Little Witch), directed by Michael Schaerer and based on the children's book by Otfried Preußler, brings to life the enchanting tale of a young witch determined to prove herself as a "good" witch. With Karoline Herfurth in the title role, the film combines whimsy, warmth, and moral clarity in a way that both honours the original story and adapts it gracefully for a new generation.

Story & Themes

The plot follows the Little Witch, only 127 years old – too young by the standards of the elder witches – who dares to attend the Walpurgis Night celebration without an invitation. As punishment, she is told she must learn every spell in the big spell book within a year and prove herself to be a "good" witch. But as she studies magic and encounters injustice, especially among the other witches, she starts to understand what it means to be good. A good witch is a witch who does bad deeds, so the Little Witch becomes a bad witch by doing good deeds.

This is a story not just about magic, but about integrity, courage, and questioning authority. The film does a commendable job of weaving in moral lessons without being heavy-handed.

Karoline Herfurth’s Performance

Karoline Herfurth brings immense charm and nuance to the Little Witch. Her portrayal is energetic and endearing, capturing the character’s youthful defiance and innate kindness. Herfurth walks the fine line between innocence and rebelliousness with a grace that makes the character both accessible to children and engaging for adults.

Her chemistry with her loyal talking raven Abraxas (voiced by Axel Prahl) is another highlight, offering comic relief and emotional warmth.

Visuals & Production

The film boasts impressive production values. The forest settings and magical environments are richly detailed, creating an immersive fairy-tale atmosphere. The practical effects and restrained CGI maintain a storybook quality that aligns well with the original tone. Costume design, especially among the eccentric witches, adds flair and distinction.

Pacing & Tone

While generally well-paced for a family audience, the film does slow at times during the "study" segments. However, it quickly picks up with engaging scenes of magic and moral confrontation. The tone strikes a balance between light-hearted fantasy and the seriousness of standing up for what’s right, making it appropriate for children without talking down to them.

Conclusion

"Die Kleine Hexe" is a charming and thoughtful adaptation of a German classic, elevated by Karoline Herfurth’s delightful performance. It celebrates kindness, critical thinking, and bravery in a whimsical setting, making it a wonderful family film with substance.

Rating: a clear 5 stars

A magical tale with heart and conscience – ideal for children and nostalgic adults alike.

The Pasta Detectives (4 Stars)

Disney Wednesday #11

The original title of this German film is "Rico, Oskar und die Tiefferschatten", engl. "Rico, Oscar and the Deep Shadows". The title of the English release is very random, since there isn't any pasta in the film. At least there are detectives: Rico and Oskar.

The film is based on the first book in a series of books about the schoolboys Rico and Oskar. At least, I hope they're schoolboys. We never see them going to school. It's the summer holiday, I hope.

Rico Doretti is a 10-year-old boy who lives in a second floor apartment in Dieffenbachstraße 93 in Berlin. It's curious that the exact address is repeatedly named in the film, as if it's something important. It's a real house in Berlin. The area around his house can easily be recognised in Google Streetview. Most of the characters in the film live in the same house, which is six floors high. It's a typical Berlin apartment house.

That's the house. It's in the middle of Kreuzberg, an area in Berlin which has a bad reputation, but it's actually very attractive.

Rico lives with his mother Tanja, played by the stunningly beautiful actress Karoline Herfurth. She's struggling to make ends meet after the death of her husband in a fishing accident. She works all night in a nightclub, "Die Mausefalle" (engl. "The Mousetrap"). Rico has to put himself to bed, and his mother is still at work when he wakes up in the morning. Maybe that's why he doesn't go to school?

That's the club where Rico's mother works. Maybe not all of Kreuzberg looks so good.

And here's a close up of Tanja riding her bike home from work in the morning. In the film she complains about getting older and losing her looks, but come on! I'd run after her without hesitation, if I could keep up with her bike.

This is Rico's bedroom. Wow! I never had a room that big, even as an adult! He just needs some more furniture.

The twin sisters Mele and Afra live next door on the second floor. Rico is in love with them, but they make fun of him because they think he's stupid. How can he be in love with both of them at once? I've never known any twins, so I suppose it's difficult to choose.

A handsome young man called Simon moves into an apartment on the fourth floor. Later in the film we find out he's a policeman. He makes a round of the house, introducing himself to his new neighbours. Rico thinks he would be suitable as a new father, so he plays matchmaker, which embarrasses both Tanja and Simon.

Rico meets Oskar, an eight-year-old boy who lives somewhere close by. He refuses to give Rico his address. Oskar is highly intelligent, but he suffers from paranoia. He wears a helmet all the time, because he says Berlin is a dangerous place. Rico is jealous of Oskar because he has a father, but Oskar says his father doesn't love him.

That's the introduction. Now for the story. Berlin is living in terror. A man is kidnapping children and only giving them back if he's paid 2000 Euros. The press call him Mister 2000. Tanja warns Rico not to go out alone. Oskar does the opposite. He walks the streets, setting himself up to be captured. He wants his father to prove his love by paying 2000 Euros. Eventually Oskar is kidnapped, but his father won't pay. Rico goes to work, using his detective skills to find where Mister 2000 lives. He proves himself more skilful than the police.

This is a very good children's film. My grandson Oliver had no trouble relating to it, and he wants to see the sequels as soon as possible. In my opinion, the best children's films are the ones that adults can enjoy as well, and this is one of them.

The Little Witch (5 Stars)

I'm feeling a bit sick today, so I'll keep this review to a minimum. As some of you might know, I've suffered from low blood pressure for the last 30 years. I mean chronic blood pressure. When I first had it I frequently blacked out in public. After a couple of years I could recognise a feeling when my blood pressure was dropping, so I knew when I had to sit down and rest. I've only occasionally been given medication, because the tablets to raise blood pressure all have side effects. In November my doctor considered my blood pressure was dangerously low, so I started taking Astonin for two months, which should have been up next week. At the weekend I had a bad headache and dizziness, but no low blood pressure feeling. I checked my blood pressure out of curiosity –  usually I only check my blood pressure when it feels low – and it was 177 / 125. I was shocked. It's never been that high before. I stopped the tablets immediately. The next morning it was 194 / 118. I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. Let's see what she says.

Sometimes I think that modern medicine is a failure. After 30 years nobody has figured out a permanent fix for my blood pressure problems. I wish I had a beautiful witch like Karoline Herfurth to give me medicinal herbs hand-picked in the forest.

I'll try to write a bit more the next time I watch this wonderful film. Until then, check out what I wrote in my first review.

The film hasn't been released on disc in English, but I'm happy to say that it's available on Amazon Prime in America. God bless Amazon!

Gundermann (4 Stars)

In 2006 a film was made called "The Lives Of Others", which showed the way the East German secret service (Stasi) used civilians to spy on one another. It wasn't the first film dealing with this subject, but its international popularity made it the first film to show people in other countries how deviously the Stasi worked. "Gundermann" is a true story that shows the Stasi's activities from a different side. The film's hero is an operative ("Spitzel") for the Stasi. He only worked for the Stasi for eight years, from 1976 to 1984, and his work for the Stasi would have been forgotten if not for the German reunification in 1990. The film follows his life from 1992 to 1995, when his past comes back to haunt him.

Gerhard Gundermann was born on 21st February 1955. He was highly intelligent and could have had a successful career as a scientist, but his problem was that he was an independent thinker who refused to be told what's right or wrong. He was a dedicated Communist his whole life, before and after reunification, but East Germany, the DDR, wasn't a pure Communist state, whatever it pretended to be. When Gundermann was doing his military service he refused to salute his commanding officers, because Karl Marx said that in a Communist society all men are equal. Due to this he was refused a place in university, and he became an excavator driver in a coal mine in Hoyerswerda.

It was during this time that his skill as a singer songwriter emerged. He performed for his colleagues at the mine, speaking to their hearts. He actively spoke out for better working conditions at the mine. These were refused, because they would have cost too much money. He was told that in a Socialist economy the success of a company takes priority over the lives of individuals. To me that sounds more like Capitalism than Socialism, but that was the irony of life in the DDR.

Blackmail was one of the Stasi's greatest skills. Gundermann was allowed to go on tour in other countries, as long as he reported conversations with his fellow musicians to the Stasi. His activity slowly increased, until he was informing on his colleagues, his neighbours and everyone around him.

Gundermann was popular before reunification, but after 1990 his popularity drastically increased in the former part of East Germany. He became the voice of the East Germans, the Ossis. He sang songs about the disillusionment in the East. Reunification had promised equality, but it never came. 30 years later there's still no equality. The only equality offered is that anyone with sufficient intelligence or other skills is now allowed to move to the West. Everyone who remains in the East is a second class citizen. Many Ossis say they would have been better off under Communism, but they've forgotten the operations of the Stasi. That was the worst aspect of the DDR.

In 1992 Gundermann found out that his work as a Spitzel for the Stasi had been uncovered. He was approached by former friends who had been told about him. This put Gundermann in a dilemma. At the time he'd thought he was doing the right thing. He was working to protect Communism. He didn't realise that he was hurting innocent people. This clashed with his self ideals as someone who wanted to help people. It clashed with the texts of his protest songs. It wasn't until a journalist gave him the files the Stasi had written about him that he realised what he'd done.

In 1995 Gundermann confessed on stage that he had been a Stasi Spitzel. This was a shock to his fans, but they forgave him. However, the film points out that Gundermann never apologised. He saw himself as a victim of the Communist system. He was forced to collaborate with the Stasi. Is this true? If a person is coerced to do bad deeds, can he say "It's their fault, not mine"? I think not. Gundermann wasn't tortured into working for the Stasi, he was just offered rewards. He wasn't given a stick, he was offered a carrot. Many of Gundermann's fans respected him for coming out, but he doesn't deserve any praise for this act. He only admitted his past sins because he knew they would eventually be reported in the press. He wanted to get his own story out first.

As a film, "Gundermann" shows the murky moral ambiguities of life in the DDR better than "The Lives Of Others". It's a shame that this film hasn't been released with English subtitles. Everyone should see this film.

The Little Witch (5 Stars)

It might surprise some of my readers that "The Little Witch" is one of my favourite films of 2018. It's a children's film aimed primarily at pre-teens. All that I can say is that if you feel surprised you don't know me very well. You need to read my posts more regularly. Despite having some preferences, my taste in films isn't limited to any one genre. I can appreciate any good film, whatever type of film it is, anything from horror to action to children's films. Usually my minimum requirement is that a film has a well-written plot, but even that isn't necessary if a film excels in other ways.

"The Little Witch" doubtlessly tells a good story. It's based on a popular children's book with the same name written by Otfried Preußler in 1957. It's about a young witch who lives in a house in the woods with her familiar, a talking raven called Abraxas. Young is relative. She's 127 years old, but among witches she's still considered to be a child. She wants to be accepted by the other witches. Every year on Walpurgis Night (April 30th) there's a big party on the mountain Blocksberg, where the witches dance all night. She wants to dance with them. I can sympathise with her. I love dancing.

The Little Witch's name isn't revealed in the film, so I'll call her Karoline, the name of the actress who plays her. Karoline decides to gatecrash the party. After only a few minutes she's spotted by her Aunt Rumpumpel, who drags her in front of the queen of the witches. She's told that she will never be invited to the dance as a punishment, but she begs to be allowed to show that she's worthy. She's told that within a year she must learn  all 7922 spells in the Witches Spellbook.

The following story is nothing short of magical. Karoline's progress is monitored by her Aunt Rumpumpel, who is determined to see her fail. But as in all tales of magic and wonderment we know that those with good hearts will prevail. Karoline's heart is pure and she wants to do good.

Karoline makes friends with two children from the nearby town, Thomas and Vroni. At first they don't believe she's a witch because she's not ugly enough. That's the understatement of the year. She's gorgeous! Okay, she has a big nose that would probably poke me when we kiss, but what's a little poke between friends?

Don't you think that the actress Karoline Herfurth looks beautiful?

She looks even better when she puts on a mean face.

If you're wondering about the nose, I'll let you into a secret. It's a fake nose that she used for the film, so I wouldn't have to worry about the poking.

Karoline Herfurth's not just beautiful, she's a wonderful actress. Look at the wide range of emotions she can express.

Watch this film for yourself. Pretend you're a child. You'll find yourself transported into a fairy-tale world where everything is possible and good always triumphs over evil. Maybe it will become one of your favourite films as well.

Gundermann (4 Stars)

This is the true story of Gerhard Gundermann, who was affectionately called Gundi by his fans. The film shows his life from 1992 to 1995, but there are flashbacks to important events in his life from 1976 to 1985.

I knew almost nothing about Gundi before I went to see the film. I knew he was a singer. I was confused by some things in the film, because I had difficulty telling what was happening in the present (the 1990's) and what was in the past. There was no attempt to make the actor Alexander Scheer look older in the later scenes. If I'd known more about Gundi I might have been able to tell from the context when things were happening. Sometimes it was obvious, sometimes it wasn't. Nevertheless, I criticise the director Andreas Dresen for not making the flashbacks recognisable throughout.

Gerhard Gundermann was born in 1955 in East Germany. He was probably intelligent enough to have gone to university, but after problems in his military service – he refused to salute superior officers – he was given a job as a miner excavating brown coal in Hoyerswerda, near the Polish border. While sitting in the cabin of his excavator he composed songs, mostly folk songs about the life of working men. After years of amateur performances he won the trust of the East German authorities and was allowed to tour other European countries. Italy is mentioned, but there must have been other countries. After the German reunification his songs concentrated on the disillusionment of the people in the East who weren't happy in the new Germany. He was one of the most popular musicians in the former eastern zone, but he was practically unknown in the west.

The film presents his music, but it's more about his political views. He was a Communist, but he was too much of a free thinker to fit into the rigid ideology of East Germany. When told what to do he repeatedly contradicted his superiors by quoting Karl Marx. Eventually he was expelled from the Communist Party for insubordination.

However, he worked as an informant for the German secret police (Stasi) from 1976 to 1984. He gave detailed information about the political views of his friends and associates. In particular, before going on tour to western European countries he advised the Stasi on which musicians could be trusted not to defect to the West.

In 1992 Gundi's friends found out he had been spying on them. It was a shock for them, because it didn't fit his image as a rebel. Many hated him for it. In 1995 he publicly admitted his work for the Stasi, but he refused to apologise. At the time he had thought it was the right thing to do. This lost him a lot of fans, while others admired him for his openness.

Despite Gundi's success as a singer, he never gave up his job as a miner. He said that if he gave up his normal job he would lose contact with the working class.

When I went to the cinema today I was probably the only member of the audience who didn't have a connection with Gundi. Everyone sat till the end of the credits, listening to the last of his songs. But that wasn't all. When the credits were over and the curtain closed, people still didn't get up to leave. Everyone was sitting in silence. It was an intense atmosphere, and I felt like an outsider who didn't understand what was happening. Eventually, after more than a minute, the first people stood up to leave.

Gerhard Gundermann
February 21, 1955 – June 21, 1998

The Little Witch (5 Stars)

This is one of the most beautiful children's films ever made. Karoline Herfurth plays a witch who lives in a house in a secluded forest with her companion the raven Abraxas. The witch isn't named, neither in the film nor in the book on which it's based, so I'll call her Karoline. That's a good name for a witch, isn't it?

The biggest night in the year is Walpurgis Night, April 30th. All the witches meet on the mountain Blocksberg to dance. Karoline wants to go, but she's never invited because she's too young. She's only 127 years old. Being a rebellious little witch she decides to gatecrash the party. Her fun doesn't last long. After only a few minutes of waving her arms in the air and stomping her feet she's spotted by her Aunt Rumpumpel, who drags her before the Queen of the Witches. Karoline insists that she deserves to visit the yearly dance, so the Queen gives her a chance. She has 12 months to learn all 7922 spells in the Witches Spellbook (TM), and she must also prove that she's a good witch.

That's more than 20 spells a day, but she gets to work straight away, practising and memorising the spells with the help of Abraxas. She also does good deeds, helping poor families gather wood, feeding hungry children and punishing bullies. Feeling confident of being accepted, she returns to be tested the day before Walpurgis Night the next year. She impresses the Queen with her mastery of witchcraft, but she finds out that she misunderstood what a good witch is. A good witch is a witch who does bad deeds, and a bad witch is a witch who does good deeds. Rumpumpel wants Karoline to be cast out, but the Queen gives her one last chance. If she turns her favourite children into stone all her good deeds will be forgotten and she can take part in the dance.

Today a special premiere was shown in 188 cinemas across Germany. Visitors were asked to come to see the film dressed as witches in an attempt to set a new record for the most witches at a film premiere. I never knew that it was a category in the Guinness Book of records. At my cinema there were 77 witches present. Overall there were 6434 witches. These are typical scenes in the cinemas.

Karoline didn't have a spell to create 187 clones of herself, so she couldn't be present at all 188 cinemas. She was at a cinema in Potsdam, where this photo was taken. I'm jealous. She should have come to Stuttgart instead. Doesn't she know that I'm her number one fan?

How could Karoline possibly be 127 years old? She doesn't look a day over 99.

The voice of the raven Abraxas is supplied by Axel Prahl, one of Germany's best actors. This is the second film he's made with Karoline Herfurth. In 2009 he appeared with her in "Berlin 36", the story of Gretel Bergman's participation in the 1936 Olympic games.

"The Little Witch" is an amazing film. I sincerely hope it will be made available in English. The children in the audience loved it. They were laughing throughout the film. As for the parents, I only spoke to the woman who was sitting next to me with her young daughter. She told me that she hadn't been to the cinema for years. A few minutes after the film started she fell asleep. Not the daughter. She was spellbound throughout the film.

The Red Baron (4½ Stars)

A few days ago I watched "Wonder Woman", in which the German army in World War One was portrayed as being made up of evil monsters. That was appropriate for the film, since the war was shown as being inspired by Ares, the God of War. "The Red Baron" shows another side. The fighter pilots were the gentlemen of the air. They shot one another's planes down, but they made no attempt to kill one another. The men were instructed, "Stop firing when your enemy is falling. We are sportsmen, not butchers". The pilots on opposite sides of the war respected one another's skills and thought of one another as friends.

This was far removed from the normal foot soldier with a rifle in his hand, where the motto was "Kill or be killed". If a German and a British pilot were shot down close to one another they would sit and chat and share a cigarette. If necessary, they would help one another if one of them was trapped in his plane. Then they would shake hands, promise to visit one another after the war, and then walk off in opposite directions. After a few days they would be sitting in their planes firing at one another again.

If the war had been decided in the air alone, Germany would have won. The German fighter pilots were the world's best. In aerial battles they were outnumbered by at least four to one, but they were always victorious. Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed the Red Baron, was the best of the best. According to official figures he shot down 80 planes, but he claimed to have shot down more than 20 other planes, which couldn't be confirmed because they fell behind enemy lines.

Manfred was given his nickname because he painted his plane red. In France he was given the nickname "Le Diable Rouge", which I find more appropriate. The colour red was intended to strike fear into the heart of the enemy. It was also to identify himself in the German squadron, to encourage the best British pilots to engage him in battle. It was sport, not war.

The film takes place from 1917 to 1918, when the Germans were already the underdogs. The successes in the air are in stark contrast to the losses on the ground. Manfred's victories are used as propaganda to encourage the foot soldiers to fight harder, sending them to their deaths.

In the end Manfred was shot down by Roy Brown, a Canadian pilot who had volunteered to fly for the British Royal Air Force. Ironically, this was a man that Manfred had assisted after shooting him down a year earlier. Manfred used his scarf to bind Roy's wound, and Roy returned the scarf a few months later. It was all so civilised. Roy laid a wreath on Manfred's grave.

This is a spectacular film that includes dazzling air battles. It's a German film, but it was filmed in English to make it accessible to the international market. In Germany itself the film was a flop, but it was a box office success abroad. The Germans consider it to be bad taste to celebrate their war heroes. The film has also been criticised for highlighting Manfred's romance with the nurse Käte Otersdorf, because in real they were probably nothing more than friends. As a nobleman he wouldn't have embarked on a serious relationship with a commoner. This isn't a problem for me. I understand cinema. In order to make a good film it's necessary to include elements such as romance to balance out the action, so I consider it acceptable to embellish a story by adding details that might have happened.

I find it strange that the film ends without showing Manfred's final battle. After having seen his successes in the air I would have liked to see his death. Maybe it's because there's lack of clarity about what happened. Manfred was shot down during an air battle with Roy Brown, and Roy was officially given the credit, but it's possible that the killing shot was fired by someone on the ground. That's very probable. Roy would have tried to avoid killing Manfred by aiming at the plane, not the man.

Manfred von Richthofen
2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918

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Die Himmelsleiter (4 Stars)

The film takes place in Cologne in 1947. Two years after the war the city is still in ruins, and people have to live in houses with missing walls. Rubble is piled up in the streets. The film's title translates as "Stairway to Heaven", but that doesn't give any help understanding what the film is about. "Himmelsleiter" was the name given to a safe path from Germany to Belgium that avoided the minefields.

The film tells the tale of two families, the Roth family and the Zettler family. Anna Roth is married to a Jew who has been missing since he was taken to a concentration camp in 1941. She assumes her husband is dead, but as we see early in the film he was captured by the Russians after being freed from his camp. They are now forcing him to work in a coal mine in Hungary. Anna's daughter Sophie has married an Italian, but after it's discovered that he was using a fake passport to live in Germany the marriage was declared invalid, and she is now dating a Belgian soldier.

Armin Zettler was a high ranking official in the Nazi Party during the war. He offered to help Jews escape if they gave him their jewels, but he let them be arrested anyway. Now the war is over he is using his money to buy property. He wants to acquire a large block of houses which he can sell to the Belgian army to build new barracks. As a good friend of the Belgians he thinks he is immune from punishment for his Nazi past. Armin's son Bruno is dating Anna's daughter Eva.

One thing that unites the two families is their love for the annual carnival. In fact, the carnival unites the whole city and gives them hope for the future. Anna, Armin and many other minor characters in the film are preparing for 1948, when they want to hold the first carnival since the war. The carnival was and still is a major event in the city of Cologne. It's something that can make the people happy, even if it's celebrated in the middle of a city in ruins.

The Policewoman (4 Stars)

This is a gripping drama about a young woman called Anne who is new on the job as a policewoman. Before joining the police force she worked for five years as a postal worker, first delivering mail and then behind a counter. She decided to join the police because she cared about people. She went to police academy in her home town of Berlin, where she wished to stay, but now she finds herself posted to the area of Lütten-Klein in Rostock. It's an unglamorous city with high criminality. Anne soon becomes disillusioned when she realises that she can't make a difference. She has affairs with a petty thief and also with one of her married colleagues, both of which she regrets. But I'm already saying too much, I don't want to add spoilers.

I bought this film because so far I have enjoyed all the films I've seen directed by Andreas Dresen. I wasn't disappointed. If you enjoy gritty urban dramas set in eastern Germany, I can recommend this film without reservation. It's only been released in Germany, but it has English subtitles. It's also worth noting that the film, made in 2000, was the first major role for Axel Prahl, who plays Anne's colleague Mike.

12 Winters (4 Stars)

This month I'll be watching more German films than usual. I'll either be watching new films or re-watching old favorites. After "Die Frau, die im Wald verschwand" and "Berlin 36" I'm turning my attention to "12 Winters". Though I admit it can hardly be called a classic, it's still a highly enjoyable film. It's the true story of Klaus Starck and Michael Roth, who robbed more than 30 banks from 1990 to 2001. I already wrote about it in my review last year. If you are an aspiring bank robber, there are two lessons you can learn from the film:

1. Robbing banks today is more difficult than it was in 1990.
2. You have to know when to stop.

Concerning point 1, the film shows that better security measures due to technological advances between 1990 and 2001 made the robberies more difficult. I assume that it's even more difficult today.

Concerning point 2, the film shows that the robbers should have quit while they were ahead. When they realised the police were closing in on them they decided to stop, but then they changed their minds and robbed two more banks. That was a fatal error.

I'm very impressed with Axel Prahl, who plays Klaus Starck. He's rapidly becoming one of my favourite actors.

Berlin 36 (4 Stars)

This is the true story of the German high jumper Gretel Bergmann, played by the delicious looking Karoline Herfurth, the girl on the right in the above photo. There's something undescribable about Karoline. She isn't beautiful in the conventional sense of the word, but something about her face is appealing.

Though based on true events, this story is practically unknown. Germany disguised a man as a woman to take part in the women's high jump in the 1936 Olympic Games. Dora Ratjen (called Marie Ketteler in this film) went on to set a new world record in 1939, but the record was declared invalid a few years later when her real gender was discovered.

I reviewed the film in more detail here. Incidentally, the real Gretel Bergmann is still alive. She's 99 and lives in New York.

12 Winters (4 Stars)

This film is based on a true story. In 1984 the two petty criminals Mike Roth and Klaus Starck meet in prison. In 1990 they meet again on the outside. Together they devise a way to rob banks without getting caught. Every winter they rob three banks in different parts of Germany. Always banks in small villages. By making relatively small robberies at long intervals they remain "under the radar". The police don't realise it's a crime series and don't connect them. After all, in Germany there are 300 bank robberies a year, so why should these three be attributed to the same gang?

A fascinating film. The scenes with the police investigation run slowly, but that's normal. This is a true story. Outside of the movies police work is rarely exciting, it's a dull daily routine, slowly putting clues together. The scenes with the two robbers are rather touching. I grew to know them during the film, and more than that, I grew to like them. They are both very pleasant characters, and I booed when the police finally caught up with them.

The film has only been released in Germany, but it has English subtitles.

Grill Point (4 Stars)

The original German title of this film is "Halbe Treppe", which translates as "halfway up the steps". Or "halfway down". The main character Uwe is always shown walking down the steps, never up. The German title is better, because the halfway symbolism is a recurrent theme throughout the film.

This is a very artistic film set in Frankfurt am Oder, arguably the ugliest city in Germany. It is very gritty and urban. Nothing glamorous about it. Uwe owns an "Imbiss", a typical German fast food restaurant, selling sausages and beer. His wife Ellen works behind the perfume counter of a department store, her customers all wealthier than herself. Uwe's best friend Chris is a radio DJ in the early morning dead hours while most people are asleep. Chris's wife Katrin sits on the border checking the paperwork of trucks travelling in and out of Poland. Four people in their middle ages, halfway through life, with boring jobs and boring marriages. Then one day the unimaginable happens. Chris begins an affair with Ellen. The film tells of the changes that occur.

Actor Axel Prahl, who plays Uwe, has to be praised for his dedication to his career. He spent two weeks in Frankfurt selling sausages and beer to the locals to get a feeling for the job.

The film and the love affair are as unglamorous as the lives of the four people portrayed. It isn't about escapism. The camera is turned back at the viewer, showing you your own life while you watch the film.

I personally enjoy the film's alienation techniques. In between scenes the characters are asked by an off-screen interviewer what they think about what just happened. On the one hand this reminds the viewer that it's "just a film", but it also brings the viewer closer, telling him what's inside of the head of the characters. The interviews aren't fully outside of the film, they're inside of the film in a surreal way. For instance, an interview with Uwe is interrupted by a phone call, and Uwe tells the interviewer, "I can't talk any more now, Chris wants to see me".

Willenbrock (4 Stars)

This is a gritty thriller that takes place in Magdeburg, a city in the eastern zone of Germany. It shows the contrasts between the shiny new buildings 15 years after reunification, and the poverty in which most of the citizens live.

Bernd Willenbrock is a used car salesman. He's happy with his life, since he's come further than most of the people around him. He owns two houses, one in the city and one in the country. He has two women, one is his wife and one is a lover. Everything is perfect until his house is broken into. He no longer feels safe, and a wealthy Russian friend recommends that he take the law into his own hands. Will this solve his problems or make them worse?

Fortunately, this film is available with English subtitles. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a picture of modern life in eastern Germany.

Berlin 36 (4 Stars)

This true story is a case of fact being stranger than fiction. 1n 1936 Germany was due to host the Olympic Games in Berlin. America threatened to boycott the games if Jewish athletes weren't allowed to compete. The world's best female high jumper at the time was a German Jew called Gretel Bergmann. She had already emigrated to England, but she was encouraged to return to Germany to train for the Olympics. Behind the scenes the German authorities were terrified of the negative propaganda if a Jew won the gold medal for Germany, so they desperately hunted for a better German athlete. And they found one. Unfortunately it was a man, so they had to disguise him as a woman to take part. I suppose the medical checks weren't as stringent in those days.

This is a fascinating film which shows primarily how "normal people" hated Jews. Gretel had to fight to prepare for the Olympic Games while being treated as an unwanted foreigner in her own country.