The borehole or Bavaria is not Texas
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The borehole or Bavaria is not Texas |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German ( Bavarian ) |
| Publishing year | 1966 |
| length | 80 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Rainer Erler |
| script | Rainer Erler |
| music | Eugene Thomass |
| camera | Werner Kurz |
| occupation | |
| |
Das Bohrloch or Bavaria is not Texas is a German film satire that was made in 1965 based on the script and directed by Rainer Erler and as a production by the Bavaria Atelier on behalf of Westdeutscher Rundfunk . When the black and white film was first broadcast on April 19, 1966 on German television , it caused some outrage, particularly on Bavarian radio .
action
In the fictional Bavarian village of Unterdeixelham, the local priest Koschorke railed against planned test drilling for oil . “ Bavaria is not Texas, ” he complains and scares the residents with photos of Texas refineries and oil rigs . Based on a signature campaign and because they “don't want to let their homeland mess up”, the local council unanimously rejects these drillings. By chance the mayor comes across a newspaper article about an Arab sheik who made immeasurable wealth through oil. Lured by potential oil billions, the local councils revise their previous decision and envision a bright future for the place. To do this, they try to win over Pratzenhofer, the richest farmer in the village, who initially reacted grumpy and grumpy when they tried to convince him.
Then Pratzenhofer reconsiders his decision and pulls the pastor on his side, whom he lures with a renovated, magnificent church . On his own he made a plot of land available for test drilling and annoyed the mayor and the councilors, who accused him of greed and selfishness. But even after months you don't come across oil, and under the malice of the councilors, the drilling company leaves again.
Then steaming hot water rises from the earth, the foul smell of which leads some villagers to believe that this is a punishment for the outrageous devastation of their homeland, or that hell has been drilled into itself. The village doctor Dr. Gerstl convinces Pratzenhofer to have the water scientifically analyzed, at best it is medicinal . The analysis in Munich actually shows that it is a highly sulphurous mineral water, unsuitable for drinking, but suitable for spa treatment .
From now on Unterdeixelham is upside down. Pratzenhofer had a fountain built on the spring, which he actually called after himself, but threadbare “ Aloysius fountain”, and redesigned his stable into a bathhouse . The whole village reacts to it. Farmers sell their cattle to get into tourism. The place will be redesigned and beautified and equipped with strolling paths, park benches, parking lots and restaurants in order to gain recognition as a bathroom . No resident refuses to do so, as everyone smells big business. After inspection by a delegation, the place is actually recognized as a spa and renamed "Bad Unterdeixelham".
The spa operation begins slowly, but then seems to be a complete success. Nevertheless, the quarrels within the village community do not end. Pratzenhofer is planning to build a huge, modern private sanatorium and a spa facility , which the local council disgustedly rejects as they fear Pratzenhofer's monopoly . He then threatens to turn off the source, then they could see who they rent their rooms to. In return, the local council threatens to stop accepting guests so that they can see where their bathers are. The spa operation comes to a temporary standstill, but Pratzenhofer can legally enforce the building permit for the sanatorium on his property. The local council then seeks recognition as a state spa, which would expropriate Pratzenhofer and nationalize the source.
Suddenly the spring runs dry and all investments seem to have been in vain. The bile sick Pratzenhofer does not recover from this blow and dies. His building projects remain as shell structures and the swimming pool in the village is discontinued. At Pratzenhofer's funeral, the pastor preached that one should be happy that Pratzenhofer did not go into politics.
Finally the mayor paints over the "bath" in the town signs of Bad Unterdeixelham. A delegation from Munich arrives, not up to date, to announce that the place is recognized as a state spa. The mayor acknowledges this with a laconic smile.
backgrounds
The shooting took place in Weildorf in 1965 . For Gustl Bayrhammer , previously more of a theater actor, the film was only the third camera production; it is seen as a breakthrough for his later career on television as well as in Munich theaters.
Director Erler was already known for socially critical and provocative films, such as transmigration of souls or orders for the child prodigies . The film was inspired by the rapid rise of the village of Füssing to the spa town of Bad Füssing , behind which people such as "Spa King" Eduard Zwick , a close friend of Franz Josef Strauss and later tax evader, stood.
When the film was first broadcast in 1966, the Bavarian Broadcasting Council railed that the film was a “contempt for the Bavarian way of life”. The superiors of the Bavarian Radio saw the "local way of life made ridiculous". When the film was repeated on ARD in 1968, the BR cut the film out of the community program and instead broadcast a performance by Komödienstadl . Director Rainer Erler later commented on this in an interview:
“The whole thing was such a mark of Cain, and Gustl laughed a lot when he found out that Bayern had hidden themselves in the repetitions. Instead, Thoma came up with 'Lottchen's birthday' . And at some point it was even said: 'If the film is on the program again, Bavaria will get out of ARD!' But I am really innocent. It's a really strange film. "
After the first broadcast in 1966, broadcasts followed on ORF (1967), repetitions on ARD (1968, without BR), WDR / HR / SFB (1979) and WDR (2001).
Reviews
Kai Beekman sees in Das Bohrloch or Bavaria is not Texas an amusing Bavarian provincial farce. TV Spielfilm describes the film as a "dusty TV oldie with old friends".
"Rainer Erler is interested in what happens in a small community when the big money comes along , and he takes it on with sometimes farce- like, over-the-top humor. [...] The ensemble of Bavarian actors that the director has assembled is remarkable. [...] The film shows what happens when farmers become construction speculators, when big money awakens the willingness in 'ordinary people from the country' to shuffle entire ways of life and landscapes. "
Awards
- Honorary award at the " Viennale des heiteren Films" 1966
Web links
- The borehole or Bayern is not Texas in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d MUH - Bavarian Aspects, Issue 28, 2018, The Forgotten Film: Long Unseen Bavarian Films Unearthed: The Borehole or Bavaria Is Not in Texas, page 72
- ↑ a b Rainer Erler's film “Das Bohrloch” provokes protests. In: Chronicle of the ARD. Retrieved June 8, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c d MUH - Bavarian Aspects, Issue 28, 2018, The Forgotten Film: Long-unseen Bavarian films unearthed again: The borehole or Bavaria is not in Texas, page 73
- ^ A b Stefan Volk: Scandal films - Cineastische Aufreger yesterday and today , Schüren-Verlag GmbH, 2011, ISBN 978-3-89472-562-4 ( excerpt in Google Books )
- ↑ a b The borehole or Bavaria is not Texas. In: filmportal.de . German Film Institute , accessed June 7, 2018 .
- ↑ The borehole or Bavaria is not in Texas. In: TV feature film. Retrieved June 8, 2018 .
- ^ Films by year: 1966. In: Viennale websites. Retrieved June 8, 2018 .