The building lion
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The building lion |
| Country of production | GDR |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1980 |
| length | 86 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Georgi Kissimov |
| script | Georgi Kissimov Kurt Belicke (scenario) Gabriele Herzog (dramaturgy) |
| production | DEFA , KAG "Johannisthal" |
| music | Karl-Ernst Sasse |
| camera | Wolfgang Braumann |
| cut | Vera Nowark |
| occupation | |
| |
The building lion is the last movie with Rolf Herricht . The comedy is about the difficulties that the owner of a home has to overcome in view of the lack of building materials in the GDR (and the shortage economy in general). The film premiered on June 5, 1980 in the Kosmos cinema in Berlin .
production
The shooting location was on the Darß in Ahrenshoop . The Keul family's house is still standing today and, apart from a new coat of paint, still looks like it did in the film.
action
Ralf Keul is a well-known entertainer in theater and television. When he was staying with his in-laws on the Baltic Sea with his wife Doris and their adult daughters Ingrid and Kirsten, he learned from the mayor that the lease for a piece of land that the in-laws leased from the community when Doris was born is to be terminated if the site is not built on within one year.
After winning the lottery 35,000 marks, the Keuls decide to build a summer house on the property. Since Ralf rejects a prefabricated house, the architect Paul designs him an individual home. Before and during the work, the construction was accompanied by a number of breakdowns: After learning that they were stealing construction materials from other construction sites, Ralf fired the bricklayers. When trying to load it with sacks of cement, Ralfs Wartburg collapses, so that he has to buy a decrepit, completely overpriced used car, an Opel Rekord P2 , from the windy car dealer Kurt . The roofers, whom Ralf unwisely paid before they finished their work, do not show up again, leaving a hole in the roof. Since he does not appear at all because of the building traffic and a car breakdown, and again with a significant delay for his presentation in Berlin, his engagement is terminated.
Due to the numerous unforeseen incidents, a large part of the lottery winnings is used up, so that the Keuls have to take out a bank loan, which entails a lengthy paper war with the bank and authorities. Ralf also secretly sells two pieces from his beloved coin collection to the architect Paul.
The young Miss Müller, who Ralf Tiles promises to procure , makes an appointment with him on the nudist beach, which he actually hates. A bather photographs the two of them assuming it is Keul's wife. When Doris later discovers this photo between Ralf's fan mail, she immediately files for divorce. However, when Ralf describes his plight in the divorce court, the judges show full understanding. A builder without experience, they say, is exposed to a higher risk and exposure than a test pilot, provided the test pilot knows what he is flying. The divorce suit is dismissed.
Despite all the odds, the house is finally finished. Ralf and Doris have breakfast on the terrace. The initial calm is disturbed by the arrival of more and more guests: first the two daughters with their partner and Ingrid's now-born daughter, then the architect Paul with his family and finally the director and director, also with families. The director, with whom Ralf fell out, is reconciled with him and offers him the opportunity to work on a new play. Ralf discovers a pair of earmuffs that give him the peace and quiet he longs for and begins to learn his new role.
criticism
"Largely unimaginative comedy, the highlights of which are at most in the mischievously naive play of the main actor Rolf Herricht."
backgrounds
The 1979 film was Herricht's first leading role since The Man Who Came After Grandma (1971).
The film was released on DVD in 2003 (together with Herricht's first feature film Musterknaben ), in 2014 (special edition 60 Years DEFA) and 2017 (together with Beloved White Mouse ).
Web links
- The Baulöwe in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The building lion at the DEFA Foundation
Individual evidence
- ↑ The building lion. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .