The round heads and the pointed heads

Movie
Original title	The round heads and the pointed heads
Country of production	GDR
original language	German
Publishing year	1985
length	160 minutes
Rod
Director	Alexander Lang (theater) Annelies Thomas (film)
production	Television of the GDR
music	Hanns Eisler
camera	Jürgen Gumpel Angelika Katzer Erich von Kaler Thomas Zahn Helmut Fischer
cut	Katharina Vogel
occupation
Reimar J. Baur : Viceroy Volkmar Kleinert : Missena Dietrich Körner : Angelo Iberin Christian Grashof : Callas Katja Paryla : Nanna Gudrun Ritter : Mrs. Cornamontis Simone von Zglinicki : Superior Roman Kaminski : Lawyer Horst Weinheimer : Emanuele de Guzman Margit Bendokat : Isabella de Guzman Harry Pietzsch : Lopez Peter Borgelt : Commander Christian Stövesand : Mr. Peruiner Lothar Dimke : Mr. de Hoz

The Round Heads and the Pointed Heads is the GDR television recording created in 1985 of a production by Alexander Lang at the Deutsches Theater Berlin based on a play by Bertolt Brecht from 1932.

action

The predominantly agrarian fantasy state of Jahoo is shattered and bankrupt. A lot is produced, but the tenants are impoverished and no longer want to pay the gentlemen rent and taxes. In order to improve the state's income, a salt tax is being considered. A rebellion is forming in the country. The poor tenants of Jahoo had gathered under the sign of the "sickle" to revolt against their powerful tenants. Since the viceroy himself is one of the largest tenants in Jahoo, he decides, after consulting the State Council Missena, to temporarily transfer the affairs of government to the popular adventurer Angelo Iberin. This suggests that the people should be divided into Tschuchen (round heads) and Tschichen (pointed heads) instead of as before into poor and rich. In order to divert attention from the unpopular measures such as a planned new tax or even a contemplated campaign against the tenants unwilling to pay, Angelo Iberin quickly declares the pointed heads to be the sole scapegoats. Now the petty bourgeoisie, including Mrs Cornamontis, Mrs Tomaso, Mr Palmosa and Mr Callamassi, are hoping for an improvement in their own social position. Meanwhile, Iberin's private army spreads fear and terror among the population. But the Czech tenants, especially Callas, are no longer convinced of the usefulness of a civil war. The Czech landlord de Guzman, who has a relationship with Nanna, the daughter of the tenant Callas, is dragged to the court and sentenced to death by Iberin after he has deposed the actually incumbent judge. Meanwhile, however, it is no longer opportune to pursue the wealthy, state-sponsored Tschichen. Thanks to Iberin's “cure for violence”, the state crisis was averted. The viceroy returns to dine with round-headed and pointed-headed tenants. In the end, wherever they have been, they are at the height of power, and Mr Iberin, who helped keep them up, is given the place of the bailiff after a concerned business. De Guzman, who has just been afraid for his life, is released.

production

The piece was conceived and written by Brecht from 1932 in longer periods and in several versions. Finished in the Danish emigration, it had its world premiere in Copenhagen in 1936. The premiere of the production by Alexander Lang on which the film is based took place at the XXVII. Berliner Festtagen 1983, shortly after the festive reopening of the 100-year-old German Theater Berlin. The set and the costumes were created by Volker Pfüller .

It was broadcast on the second channel on East German television on October 19, 1985.

criticism

Rainer Kerndl found in the daily newspaper Neues Deutschland that the performance style is determined by the grotesque, and costume and mask details underline this. Clown-like means are driven into almost pantomime stylization, coherent and artificial dialects are used to characterize the characters. Often, even for dramaturgically secondary moments, theatrical and playful ideas are found that drive them up to brilliant, comedic and subtle processes. Helmut Ullrich von der Neue Zeit found that not all of the theatrical means used here are incredibly new, but are used with enormous intelligence.

Web links

• See the online dictionary of television in the GDR
• The Round Heads and Pointed Heads in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Neues Deutschland from October 1, 1983, p. 1
2. ↑ “A“ horror tale ”from yesterday warns of the eternal yesterday” in: Neues Deutschland from October 4, 1983, p. 7
3. ^ "Scenic metaphor with a current dimension" in Neue Zeit of October 4, 1983, p. 4