Democrat Läppli
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Democrat Läppli |
| Country of production | Switzerland |
| original language | Swiss German |
| Publishing year | 1961 |
| length | 98 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Alfred Rasser |
| script | Alfred Rasser based on his book of the same name (1947) |
| production | Walter Kägi |
| music | Walter Baumgartner |
| camera | Hannes Schneeberger |
| cut | Walter Kägi |
| occupation | |
| |
Democrat Läppli is a Swiss feature film from 1961 by and with Alfred Rasser .
action
Theophil Läppli, a stubborn Swiss patriot through and through, followed the traces of the “cradle of democracy” and, after visiting the Acropolis , found inspiration in Greece to create a “true democracy” on his return home »To realize. On the national holiday on August 1st, a company director named Boller gives a speech that makes Läppli believe in “typical” Swiss values such as sincerity. But Läppli soon seems to be nothing more than a gambler and profit vulture like many others: first he buys her little house from Läppli's sister Agathe for a ridiculous price, and then tears it down and puts up her own villa there. It is created according to the classic horse-trading principle: A political friend of Bollers can present the building drawings and earn a decent penny, in return he supports Boller's candidacy for the National Council . Theophil Läppli is angry about this kind of haggling, haggling and profiteering, but cannot do anything about it for the time being.
Meanwhile, the director's wife, Ms. Boller, does not agree at all with the construction of the new villa and encourages her husband's employee, Hunziker, to light a fire at the house. The wind blows in the face of ambitious director Boller from another side as well: His dismissed employee Herbert Flammer wants to expose the corrupt machinations of his former boss and for this reason has founded the "Party of Active Democrats". Läppli is on fire for his intention and promises Flammer to support him in his work. He even gives him some of his savings. But before it could be paid out, his old friend Fritz Mislin embezzled the money to make himself a nice spring in sunny Italy.
Meanwhile, Läppli has arrived in front of Sister Agathe's old property and sees the Boller villa on fire. He is seen, and the authorities immediately assume that only Läppli could have lit the match. The rebellious local patriot is sentenced to seven months in prison. But Democrat Läppli was not deterred by that either and found a new job in Boller's canning factory. Here he has to realize how inhuman the working world of Swiss modernity has become. And again the old man protests against injustice. He stops the machines without further ado ... and is then promptly dismissed. When he discovers a text of the Swiss constitution from his political companion and confidante Flammer, Läppli decides to scrutinize his representatives and goes to Bern to ask the federal councilors to explain certain undesirable developments in the parliament building there.
Production notes
Democrat Läppli , also under the alternative title HD Läppli is civilian , was filmed from September to October 1961 and premiered on December 26, 1961 in both Basel (in the Capitol Cinema) and in Bern (in the Metropol Cinema). The studio recordings were made in the Neuhaus studio of Kägi-Film in Rümlang-Zurich, the outdoor recordings in Zurich, Basel, Lucerne, Urswil, Hochdorf, Dielsdorf, Thun, Rümlang as well as in the Federal Palace in Bern and in the Greek capital Athens.
The film structures were designed by Nino Borghi , Georges C. Stilly was in charge of production and Rolf Lyssy was assistant director. The former close collaborator of Arnold Fanck and veteran mountain film cameraman Hans Schneeberger ended his film career in Switzerland, which he had been doing since 1959.
After the success of HD Läppli, the main actor Rasser took up the figure of the peaceful cross-head Theophil Läppli again with this sketch-like film and continued his story. However, since it was not successful this time and the critics unanimously panned this film (for various reasons), further Läppli stories were only produced for television.
Reviews
"The film is refreshingly (and very unusually) aggressive, but the form in no way corresponds to the content and the gags that accentuate this diverse accusation are of very different quality."
In the lexicon of international films it says: “Adding to the success of the film ' HD Läppli ', this film offers partly honest idiocy, partly bitter political satire with real references. Alfred Rasser shines in the hilariously comical lead role as a federal Schwejk, but the film suffers from the clumsy sequence of cabaret numbers. "
Individual evidence
- ^ History of Swiss Film. P. 544
- ^ Democrat Läppli. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
Web links
- Democrat Läppli in the Internet Movie Database (English)