The city in the valley
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The city in the valley |
| Country of production | Federal Republic of Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1975 |
| length | 166 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Wolfgang Petersen |
| script | Bernd Schroeder |
| production | Gunther Witte ( West German Broadcasting Cologne ) |
| music | Nils Sustrate |
| camera | Peter Kaiser |
| cut | Liesgret Schmitt-Klink |
| occupation | |
| |
Die Stadt im Tal is a two-part television film by Wolfgang Petersen that was produced by Westdeutscher Rundfunk in 1975 . The first broadcast took place on January 26th and 28th, 1975 in the joint program of ARD .
action
Part 1
The action takes place in the fictional district town of Lugstadt, the town in the valley. Graf Brosch, long-established and influential entrepreneur in the city, including the owner of the Brosch brewery and the Brosch building, is planning an extensive real estate project in the city forest, which is rejected by the mayor Kammerloher and his majority faction in the city council. The rejection of the project is supported by a citizens' initiative, which also opposes the mayor's policy with regard to the redevelopment of the city center, which they consider to be wrong, which enables Graf Brosch to convert residential space in the city center into business premises.
Count Brosch's son-in-law, Dr. Kastner, director of the Lugtaler Gymnasium and leader of the opposition in the city council, gives a speech at the annual graduation ceremony, in which he emphasizes the merits of previous generations. With this argument he tries to nip critical questions of the youth in the bud. The high school graduate Max Fantl contradicts him in his Abitur speech and complains about the poor provincial school education in the Lugstadt high school. The teachers leave the graduation ceremony indignant.
The events in Lugstadt are accompanied by the local journalist of the Lugtaler Bote, Fridolin Fantl, Max's brother. Fridolin tries to take into account the concerns of the citizens' initiative in his reporting. His tentative advances in this direction are vigorously rejected by the local manager Praetorius, who is a member of Kastner's evening regulars' table. The progressive student councilor Lamprecht, class teacher for high school graduates and a member of the citizens' initiative, also takes part in political events in Lugtal. He befriends the widow Johanna, the owner of the local cinema, who, as a newcomer, introduces him to the background of the city.
Max Fantl studies in the city. However, he regularly returns to Lugstadt. He falls in love with Veronika Kastner, Count Broch's granddaughter, with whom he graduated from high school.
The citizens' initiative, to which City Councilor Wunderlich from the majority faction belongs, is trying to put the urban forest under nature protection in order to prevent the real estate project. Local curator Alten and Pastor Sommer also oppose the project, as an old Marienkapelle would have to give way in the city forest.
Graf Brosch telephones with City Councilor Leichner from the majority faction, who owns a bakery in the city center. He wants to expand his bakery and open a branch in Weststadt. The construction project in the city forest would come in very handy for him. Leichner then discusses the consequences of approving the construction project with his wife. Graf Brosch repeatedly expressed in conversations that he had no doubt that he would be successful in implementing his project. However, he leaves his interlocutors in the dark about his plans.
Fridolin is increasingly dissatisfied with his professional situation. The move from Lugtal also fails because of his wife's resistance, which he does not oppose. Fridolin warns Max in vain of an early bond with Veronika. At the big engagement party of Max and Veronika in the courtyard, the news of a night fire brigade in the city forest bursts. The old Lady Chapel is in bright flames.
Part 2
The Marienkapelle is completely destroyed in the night fire in the city forest. The supporters of the construction project in the opposition faction in the city council recognize how unfortunate the situation has become for Count Brosch, who only benefits from the destruction, as a result of the fire. Outwardly, they blame left-wing terror, which goes back to the work of the citizens' initiative, for the fire.
Graf Brosch has to get another city councilor on his side to secure a majority for his motion in the city council. His choice falls on City Councilor Krötz, who he knows has got into financial difficulties. During a walk in the forest with their wives, Leichner and Krötz talk about their voting behavior in the decisive city council meeting the next day. Now Krötz reveals that he has already negotiated with Count Brosch. He has scruples about selling his vote and does not yet know how to act in the vote. Leichner tries to encourage him to vote for the motion. He would sue anyone who said they voted and took money out of irrelevant considerations.
The day of the decisive vote has come. Leichner and Krötz vote in favor of the proposal. Mayor Kammerloher is now in the city council without a majority. The opposition celebrates their victory at the regulars' table in the evening. During the crisis meeting in the town hall, the group received a call: City councilor Krötz had caused a traffic accident while being drunk and suffered fatal injuries. When Count Brosch wants to condolate the widow at the funeral, the widow turns away brusquely.
There are new elections, from which the opposition leader Kastner emerges as the winner. He becomes the new mayor of Lugtal. The defeated parliamentary group, headed by City Councilor Pfeiffer, allies itself with the citizens' initiative around their colleague Wunderlich, so that the opposition work can be made more effective.
The building project of Count Brosch comes to a standstill. As suggested by Dr. Marquardt predicted by the housing association "Grüner Wohnen", not enough buyers can be won in Lugtal. At the last minute, Graf Brosch averted bankruptcy by selling the project to “Grüner Wohnen”. Senior apartments are now to be built.
Fridolin Fantl will leave Lugtal with his family and move to the city in order to gain new career prospects. On the other hand, his brother Max stays in Lugtal after the wedding with Veronika. In the future he will work for “Grüner Wohnen”, which will also carry out the inner city renovation.
Lamprecht and Wunderlich organize a large event on the market square to protest against the redevelopment of the inner city. They also ask for support for squatting to prevent the conversion of living space. The new opposition demonstratively supports the citizens' initiative. At the same time, the 300th anniversary of the Brosch brewery is being celebrated with a folk festival in the courtyard under the motto “What would Lugtal be without the Broschs?”.
background
The shooting took place from June 17, 1974 to August 26, 1974 in Monschau , Eupen and Cologne .
At the beginning of the first part, Mariele Millowitsch and Peter Millowitsch appear together as high school graduates at the high school ball.
criticism
“It may be that the material, properly tailored, would have been enough for a lifelike and entertaining educational film about renovation problems in a small town. Perhaps a grotesque 'Die deutscher Kleinstädter' 75 'would have fallen off. But hung with so much dramatic patchwork and so much soulful cotton wool puffed up, the notes from the provinces run into a creamy penny novel that occasionally paralyzes any comrade trend. "
"Buying votes and the cinema crisis, frustration of the local editors and the desolation of the provinces even in the conjugal bed - the author leaves nothing out, piling it up into a villain in this small town, against which Courths-Mahler's intrigues seem like subtle psychological dramas."
Web links
- The town in the valley in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The city in the valley at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ DER SPIEGEL 5/1975: No beautiful country by Klaus Umbach . January 27, 1975. Retrieved August 2, 2010.