The Flying Dutchman (1964)

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Movie
Original title The Flying Dutchman
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1964
length 101 minutes
Rod
Director Joachim Herz
script Joachim Herz
Harald Horn
production DEFA
music Richard Wagner
camera Erich Gusko
cut Use Peters
occupation

The Flying Dutchman is a DEFA opera adaptation by Joachim Herz from 1964 . It is based on the opera of the same name by Richard Wagner.

action

This DEFA production is an attempt not to simply film a Wagner opera, but to tell it using cinematic means.

Senta, the daughter of the shipowner Daland, encounters the “Flying Dutchman” time and again in her daydreams: a fabulous sailor who is doomed to sail restlessly across the seas until he finds a girl who will be bound to him forever want. Until then, he is only allowed to go ashore every seven years.

During a storm, Daland and his ship seek shelter in a quiet bay and meet the ship of the "Dutchman" there. He asks for a short hospitality in return for a generous reward. Impressed by the wealth, Daland offers him the hand of his daughter Senta. Hope awakens in the Dutchman that this woman will deliver him from his curse-laden fate. In the meantime, the girls and women sit together at home to wait at the spinning wheels for the sailors to return. Only Senta is taken with the idea of ​​releasing the legendary Dutchman from his curse. Neither the warnings of the nurse Mary nor the requests of the hunter Erik, who has loved her for a long time, can dissuade her. When her father steps into the house with the strange guest, she recognizes him as the man to whom she has to swear eternal loyalty.

The next day the sailors of the Norwegian ship celebrate their homecoming with song and dance. They try to wake the crew of the haunted ship, but the storm howls and gruesome singing from inside the ship drives them to flight. Erik tries again to dissuade Senta from her decision. The Dutchman, who overhears the conversation, doubts the oath of loyalty sent by Senta and sails away. On a headland, Senta looks after the ship disappearing in the fog and sea.

production

The Flying Dutchman was filmed in black and white on the Baltic Sea and lakes around Berlin and premiered on December 25, 1964 in the “Gérard Philipe” cinema in Berlin and in the “Capitol” cinema in Leipzig. Scenes that played in Senta's fantasy were in, Total Vision rotated real scenes contrast, in normal image . The four-channel sound method was used for sound reproduction . Ingeborg Schumacher (German) and Walfriede Schmitt (English) acted as speakers . Music performers were the chorus of the Leipzig Opera and the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig .

Awards

  • State rating of the GDR: valuable
  • Edinburgh International Film Festival 1965: Honorary Diploma

synchronization

The singing of the actors was synchronized:

role actor Singer
Senta Anna Prucnal Gerda Hannemann
Dutchman Fred Düren Rainer Lüdecke
Daland Gerd Ehlers Hans Kramer
Mary Mathilde Danegger Katrin Wölzl
Erik Herbert Graedtke Rolf Apreck
Helmsman Hans-Peter Reinecke Karl-Friedrich Hölzke

criticism

Wolfgang Gersch wrote in the Film-Wissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen that Herz neither filmed a theater production nor resolved the original according to optical aspects. Bruno Pioch expressed himself very positively in the film mirror about the excellent match between music and physical action. The great folk scenes stand out in their vital beauty.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Film review by Wolfgang Gersch in: Film-Wissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen , issue 01/1965.
  2. ^ Film review by Bruno Pioch in: Filmspiegel , issue 02/1965.