Buddenbrooks (2008)

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Movie
Original title Buddenbrooks
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 2008
length 150 (cinema) or 180 (TV) minutes
Age rating FSK 6
JMK 6
Rod
Director Heinrich Breloer
script Heinrich Breloer,
Horst Königstein
production Michael Hild,
Jan S. Kaiser,
Uschi Reich ,
Winka Wulff
music Hans Peter Ströer
camera Gernot Roll
cut Barbara von Weitershausen
occupation

The family drama Buddenbrooks (2008) is the fourth film adaptation of the novel of the same name (1901) by Thomas Mann . Director Heinrich Breloer had previously made a name for himself with documentary dramas, including the multi-part television series Die Manns about the writer's family, which is why he is considered a man specialist. With the Buddenbrooks, he dared to make a fictional film for the first time. The film does not show the full range of characters from the novel; the first generation was left out, the consul's children reduced to three, and some things, like the ball scene at the beginning of the film, have been invented.

background

The novel was made into a film in 1923 , 1959 and 1979 . Cinematographer Gernot Roll already performed this role during the 1979 production. According to Breloer, they developed a different camera concept for the 2008 version which, thanks to modern, more agile equipment, was supposed to "approach the feelings of our actors more intensely". Actor Armin Mueller-Stahl said: “There is probably no more German story than the Buddenbrooks.” He turned down a role in Operation Walküre in favor of the Buddenbrooks and, in retrospect, found this decision “totally right”. The production cost 16.2 million euros, for the co-producing Bavaria Film the most expensive project since Das Boot . Among other things, this made it possible to reconstruct the Buddenbrooks House in a Cologne studio. The film had its world premiere on December 16, 2008 in the Lichtburg in Essen in the presence of Federal President Horst Köhler , who saw contemporary Germans reflected in the Buddenbrooks. By the end of July 2009, over 1.2 million visitors saw the film in German cinemas. For the production co-financed by television, there is an cut version for broadcast as a two-part series of 90 minutes per episode. The German first broadcast of this version took place on December 23, 2010 on Arte , where both parts were shown one after the other and met with lively audience interest. Another broadcast took place on December 27 and 28, 2010 on Das Erste , where ratings of 3.44 million viewers / 9.9% market share (episode 1) and 4.24 million viewers / 12.7% market share (episode 2) could be achieved.

Opinions of the film review

How to deal with the novel

The film received mixed reactions from German-language film reviews. If the Neue Zürcher Zeitung still thinks that the cuts made to the novel have been appropriately chosen, the FAZ misses too many characters and the film-dienst sees the novel as violent due to the deletions. The taz regrets that Breloer no longer dwell on simple everyday scenes and only shows the outstanding events; the epic of the novel has been lost. According to epd Film , the cinematic implementation of the reflective passages in the novel is lacking. Many events, especially deaths, happen too quickly for the FAZ ; several reviews see the narrative as rushed and restless. The press is of the opinion that too much was left out of the final cut, so that some scenes remained incomprehensible. The taz too often remains unclear about the characters' motivation, and Die Zeit criticizes the fact that Breloer ignored Thomas Mann's allegedly apparent aversion to the lower class in the novel.

For staging

The critics agree that this film production goes to extreme lengths in terms of equipment and costumes, and even celebrates an orgy of equipment; then there are picturesque landscapes. Everything is aimed at overpowering. The film service criticizes the narrow viewing angle of the camera, whose mode of operation is characterized by television aesthetics, the mirror finds the images conventionally. The underlying music is unanimously criticized, the dramaturgical effect of which is perceived as intrusive and overly clear, and whose tone is perceived as uncharacteristic and sweet kitsch. Only the NZZ thinks that the highlighting of the show values ​​is in line with the novel. Many reviews discover that the film is a mere illustration of Mann's novel, a colorful sheet of pictures that is limited to outward appearances. “It's like opening the book, but seeing nothing but letters.” Breloer avoided the “existential depths” because they didn't reveal anything visually. He has nothing to share, no ideas, exaggerations and topics of his own, neglecting to develop his own point of view and thus producing any novel adaptation. It is a mentally poor, empty film whose clumsy message, one must follow the love and the voice of one's heart, does not do Thomas Mann justice. The Stuttgarter Zeitung was bothered by dialogues like in previous evening series. According to epd film and cinema , the mood of the film is characterized by nostalgia and an intangible or restrained grief, but without pathos arising.

The Frankfurter Rundschau finds the production “all in all not bad at all”, but stiff and model-pupil-like; Still, you have fun watching thanks to the cheerful actors. Elsewhere it is said that the film is not captivating, boring, the tension and the humor of the novel are neglected. Frankfurter Rundschau and NZZ agree that the production does not reach the sophistication of a Visconti . While the FAZ thinks that Breloer cut the main theme of the novel, Die Presse finds Mann's theme-based narrative technique well transferred to the medium of film. However, the style is too striking for her, the film shows too much directly. She finds the cohabitation between Thomas Buddenbrook and his wife Gerda, which does not appear in the novel, “unsuitable”, Der Spiegel finds it “cheeky” to show and the FAZ only “laughable”.

For representation

The NZZ praises the precise psychological figure drawing and the Frankfurter Rundschau the performance of all five main characters. According to Epd Film , the film owes its occasional intensity to those scenes in which Breloer trusts the actors. But the taz declares Breloer's actor management to have failed, and the Berliner Zeitung states that he let the actors play mere routine. When it comes to Armin Mueller-Stahl and Iris Berben, FAZ and Berliner are in agreement: One is a consul that is a bad cast without depth, the other portrays the consul as “walking indignation”. Mark Waschke scores better in the role of Thomas Buddenbrook off; it is "contourless" for the FAZ ; but others think he plays believably and with depth, thanks to the subtle play convincing and "haunting". Sometimes praised extensively, sometimes devalued as a mask-like caricature, August Diehl is often not even mentioned as Christian. The most positive appreciation among the actors is Jessica Schwarz as Tony, whereby FAZ and Berliner note that Breloer makes Tony the main character of the film; for epd Film it is “the living center of film”. If the film service still thinks that this figure remains pale, the taz is the only one to exclude Tony / Schwarz from its figure slap. For the Berliners , she evades the "execution of figures" through a detached game. Others think that Tony succeeded, thanks to a subtle play convincing, "delightful" and "enchanting". Of the secondary characters, Sylvester Groth finds occasional negative mention as the exaggerated, giggling, grotesque banker Kesselmeyer.

Awards

The film evaluation agency Wiesbaden awarded the film the rating particularly valuable . Production designer Götz Weidner and costume designer Barbara Baum were awarded the Bavarian Film Prize 2008 for the equipment for the film .

Audio film

The audio description of the film, produced by Arte for television broadcasts and spoken by Hans Mittermüller, was nominated for the German Audio Film Award in 2011 .

literature

Further sources

  • Heinrich Breloer , Michael Adrian (editor): Thomas Manns Buddenbrooks. A film book . With excerpts from the script by Heinrich Breloer and Horst Königstein . With still photographs by Stefan Falke. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2008, ISBN 978-3-10-005234-6 , 383 pages (book on the film; background on the history of Lübeck and on film production)
  • Conversation with Heinrich Breloer in: Die Welt , December 18, 2008, p. 30: "There are many analogies to today"
  • cinema musica No. 4/2008, pp. 36–39: Setting a family to music. (Conversation with the composer of the film music, Hans P. Ströer)
  • Timo Rouget: The reception in talkies and other media. In: Nicole Mattern u. Stefan Neuhaus (ed.): Buddenbrooks manual. Stuttgart: Metzler 2018, pp. 63–70. ISBN 978-3-476-04649-9

Criticism mirror

  • Cinema No. 01/09: half-raised thumb; entertaining, partly clichés, but avoids pathos
  • epd film No. 1/2009 (Wilhelm Roth): 3 out of 5 stars; too shortened, emphasis on equipment, owed occasional intensity to the actors, especially black
  • film service No. 26/2008: mixed; Praise for equipment and Waschke's presentation, but lack of own vision and liveliness, bad music
  • Berliner Zeitung of December 23, 2008 (Dirk Pliz): “Disappointment”; Film remains elaborate illustration, Breloer leads poor actors who play too routinely
  • Cicero (magazine) of January 13, 2009 (Josef Girshovich): “Teletubby level”; Direction completely unsuccessful; no trace of Thomas Mann; School film like after Rosamunde Pilcher
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of December 24, 2008 (Edo Reents): Rejection; Thematically unfocused, overloaded, boring, only black is convincing
  • Frankfurter Rundschau of December 16, 2008 (Peter Michalzik): rather positive; Kudos for the five main actors, the perfectionism of the staging makes the film seem stiff
  • Neue Zürcher Zeitung of December 24, 2008 ( Claudia Schwartz ): positive; especially Schwarz and Waschke play convincingly, praise for show values
  • Die Presse from December 19, 2008 (Thomas Kramar): mixed; Praise for Schwarz and Waschke, direction only partially successful, very bad music
  • Der Spiegel issue 51/2008 (Nikolaus von Festenberg): tends to be negative; Accusation of superficiality, praise for black
  • Stuttgarter Zeitung of December 23, 2008 (Tim Schleider): completely failed; the film is only an external form without its own theme and perspective
  • taz of December 20, 2008 (Dirk Knipphals): Verriss ; Character motivation and play are drowned out in luxurious furnishings, costumes and music
  • The time of December 23, 2008 (Jens Jessen): failed, Breloer tells hastily and without interest

Web links

Wikiversity: Breloer's Buddenbrooks film - an example of the gap between literature and film.  - course materials

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Age rating for Buddenbrooks . Youth Media Commission .
  2. ↑ a b c d e epd Film No. 1/2009, p. 38
  3. ↑ a b epd Film No. 12/2008, pp. 18-21. Conversation with Armin Mueller-Stahl: I will stay as I am
  4. ↑ Der Spiegel No. 51/2008; Concerning Bavaria: epd Film No. 1/2009
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g taz, the daily newspaper, December 20, 2008, p. 17: Schlag ins Kontor
  6. ↑ Film hit list: Month July 2009 ( Memento of the original from December 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Filmförderungsanstalt, queried on September 15, 2009 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ffa.de
  7. ↑ Bavaria Film GmbH press release of December 7th, 2010 ( http://www.bavaria-film.de), /  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 29, 2010.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.bavaria-film.de  
  8. ↑ cf. Quota analysis by Alexander Krei from December 24, 2010 at DWDL.de , accessed on December 29, 2010.
  9. ↑ cf. Quota analysis by Uwe Mantel from December 28, 2010 at DWDL.de, accessed on December 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ cf. Quota analysis by Alexander Krei from December 29, 2010 at DWDL.de, accessed on December 29, 2010.
  11. ↑ a b c d e f g Neue Zürcher Zeitung, December 24, 2008, p. 41: A film with longing
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, December 24, 2008: It's not just about money: Buddenbrooks
  13. ↑ a b c d e f film-dienst, No. 26/2008, p. 24
  14. ↑ epd film No. 1/2009; FAZ December 23, 2008; film service No. 26/2008; Stuttgarter Zeitung December 23, 2008; Der Spiegel No. 51/2008; The time December 23, 2008
  15. ↑ a b c d e f Die Presse, December 19, 2008: The grain, the money, the tears
  16. ^ Die Zeit, December 23, 2008, p. 43
  17. ↑ Berliner Zeitung December 23, 2008; Cinema No. 01/09, p. 50; FAZ December 23, 2008; Frankfurter Rundschau December 16, 2008; Stuttgarter Zeitung December 23, 2008; taz December 20, 2008
  18. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Berliner Zeitung, December 23, 2008, p. 24: Stuffed Sofabürgertum
  19. ↑ a b c d e f Frankfurter Rundschau, December 16, 2008, p. 37: Comfortable viewing
  20. ↑ a b c d e Der Spiegel issue 51/2008 of December 15, 2008, p. 148: It stays in the family
  21. ↑ film-dienst No. 26 2008; Frankfurter Rundschau December 16, 2008; taz December 20, 2008
  22. ↑ film-dienst No. 26 2008; Die Presse December 19, 2008; Stuttgarter Zeitung December 23, 2008
  23. ↑ Berliner Zeitung December 23, 2008; Stuttgarter Zeitung December 23, 2008; taz December 20, 2008
  24. ↑ a b c Stuttgarter Zeitung, December 23, 2008, p. 29: Family carriage, driven against the wall
  25. ↑ a b Cinema No. 01/09, p. 50
  26. ↑ Bavarian State Portal: Prime Minister Horst Seehofer awards 30th Bavarian Film Prize  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , from January 16, 2009@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.bayern.de  
  27. ^ Buddenbrooks (Part 1) in the Hörfilm database of Hörfilm e. V.
  28. ↑ 9th German Audio Film Award 2011