The indomitable

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Movie
German title The indomitable
Original title America, America
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1963
length 177 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Elia Kazan
script Elia Kazan
production Elia Kazan
music Manos Hadzidakis
camera Haskell Wexler
cut Dede Allen
occupation

The Indomitable is an American drama film directed by Elia Kazan in 1963. The script, which Kazan himself wrote, is based on his own novel Amerika, Amerika (original title: America America ).

In Germany the film had its theatrical premiere on October 30, 1964, with a version shortened by almost 60 minutes was shown. The ZDF broadcast a new version in the original length on November 21, 1984, the Arte culture channel on February 22, 1993 an original version with German subtitles under the title America, America - The Unconquerable .

action

Stavros Topouzoglou, a young Greek , wants to emigrate to the USA in 1896 because his best friend was murdered while protesting against Turkish oppression. In order to be able to pay for his crossing, Stavros travels to Constantinople to work in the carpet trade for his cousin Odysseus. His parents Isaak and Vasso, who want to visit him later, give him what they can do without.

On his journey, Stavros gets to know the Turk, Abdul, who betrays and steals from him. Stavros takes revenge and kills Abdul, but reaches his cousin with no money. Odysseus asks him to marry a rich woman in order to get some money. But Stavros refuses to avoid jeopardizing his emigration to America. Instead, he becomes a member of a resistance group and is seriously injured in one action.

After his wounds healed, he thought of his cousin's advice and made friends with Domna Sinnikoglou, the daughter of a carpet wholesaler. A wedding with the Domna at home is out of the question. Her father offers him a small trousseau, which is just enough for the ship passage. One day before the ship departs, Stavros meets Sophia, the wife of the American carpet buyer Aratoon Kebabian. They start an affair on the ship, but Kebabian finds out and threatens to have Stavros deported to Turkey. Stavros then hides from the ship's officers, his fear of deportation brings him close to a nervous breakdown. He meets the Armenian boy Hohannes Gardashian, who works as a shoe shine on the ship to come to New York. Stavros believes there is no chance of getting off the ship undetected. Hohannes, seriously ill with tuberculosis and already dying, allows Stavros to use his name and jumps overboard. Stavros reaches his destination America and starts saving money.

Reviews

"Kazan processes autobiographical experiences and motifs from his uncle's life story into an extremely sensitive, detailed and committed film about the lure of mythical America, in which the desires and utopias of Europeans are embodied, who nevertheless have to buy a new beginning with heavy losses."

- Lexicon of international film

“Elia Kazan filmed the life story of his Greek uncle powerfully in epic images. He hoped in vain to make his main actor Giallelis as famous as he had achieved eight years earlier in 'Beyond Eden' with James Dean. "

- Cinema

“The very ambivalent appearance of the hero, whose path leads through murder, corruption, theft and adultery, is cool and distant, but uncritical and not depicted without sympathy. The photographically appealing style of the picture does not condense the episodic narrative into artistic cohesion. A stimulating conversation only for a critical observer. "

- Protestant film observer

Awards

Prices

Nominations

background

The film, which was co-produced by Warner Bros. , was shot in Athens . On November 23, 1964, the film was given the title of Particularly Valuable by the Wiesbaden Film Evaluation Office .

Frank Wolff was a busy performer in European productions, primarily spaghetti westerns. He became known as Farmer McBain in Sergio Leone's Play Me A Song of Death . Lou Antonio, who also worked as a director, starred here in his second feature film. For Linda Marsh it was her debut in a movie.

literature

  • Elia Kazan : America, America. Roman (Original Title: America America ). German by Gerda von Uslar . Full paperback edition. Droemer-Knaur, Munich and Zurich 1980, 127 pp.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Indomitable. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ http://www.cinema.de/kino/filmarchiv/film/die-unbezwingbaren,1307587,ApplicationMovie.html
  3. ↑ Evangelical Press Association, Munich, Review No. 180/1965