The guards

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The dystopian novel The Guardians (Original title: The Guardians ) is a work of the English author John Christopher . He describes the fate of Rob Randall, a boy who lives and works in a society divided into two classes.

The novel, published in 1970, received the German Youth Literature Prize in 1976

In 1985 “Die Wächter” was filmed by Bavaria Atelier GmbH in six parts of 50 minutes each. The role of Rob Randall was played by Martin Tempest. The series was shown on ARD from February to March 1986.

action

In the 21st century, England is divided into two regions: the hectic, progressive Konurba and the district where people live as they did before the First World War. Since the two areas are separated by a fence, the residents of Konurba and the district do not know each other. Therefore one group distrusts the other. Rob Randall, a boy from Konurba, has lived alone with his father since his mother died. After he dies in an accident, Rob is sent to a state boarding school. Because of the brutal customs that prevail there, Rob decides to run away from the boarding school. He decides to flee to the county after learning that his mother grew up there. In the county he meets Mike Gifford, the son of country nobles, who agrees to hide Rob in a cave. When Mike's mother discovers the hidden boy, after initial hesitation, she offers Rob to live with the family as an alleged "nephew from Nepal". Rob quickly settled in the world of the landed gentry and from September the two boys went to school together. There they get to know Daniel Penfold, an older student who is not satisfied with the social order. While Mike becomes interested in Penfold's ideas, Rob is very skeptical of them.

During the Christmas break, Mike and Rob spend a few days with the Penfolds, where they meet Daniel's older brother Roger. This was a soldier in the China War (in the ARD series: "War on the Transatlantic Islands") and also criticizes the social order. Eventually a riot breaks out, in which Mike and the Penfold brothers are also involved. When the revolution is put down, Mike escapes. One night he visits Rob and explains to him that he would like to go to the Konurba in order to start the revolution again from there with Konurban allies. The next day Rob is brought to the governor by an equestrian patrol. The latter reveals to him that it was known from the start that Rob was from Konurba. Now Rob is supposed to become a so-called guardian , one of those who should guarantee the continued existence of society. He should also report it when Mike contacts him. This will then be subjected to a brain operation, which should ensure that he no longer has any revolutionary thoughts. At first Rob agrees, but in the end he realizes the mendacity of this company. He realizes that his father also supported this revolution and then decides to return to the Konurba to help Mike.

Interpretation of the novel

With this novel, the author paints a portrait of a society divided into two different classes. The whole system is based on prejudices that one group has about the other. It also shows what happens when you consider a thing to be perfect and thus become blind to its mistakes. This denial of reality, together with prejudices, leads to a social order in which everyone is satisfied with what they are and does not show any interest in anything else. The author would like to urge the readers not to mindlessly accept apparently perfect states, but to question them.

filming

The novel was filmed in 1985 for ARD as a six-part mini-series with international cast. Directed by Franz Peter Wirth based on a script by Franz Peter Wirth and Wolfgang Mühlbauer. The series is available on DVD.

Roles and performers

actor role German speaker Episodes
Martin Tempest Robin "Rob" Randall Martin Halm 1-6
Paul Hawkins Mike Gifford Philipp Brammer 3-6
Renate Schroeter Margaret Gifford, Mike's mother 3-6
Sophie Lawrence Cecily Gifford, Mike's sister Inga Nickolai 3-6
Martin Dempsey Gaudeon, butler for the Giffords Klaus Guth 3-6
Agnes Bernelle Mrs. Talbot, housekeeper for the Giffords 3-6
Robert Atzorn Mr. Knight, headmaster at the conurban boarding school 1-3
Karl-Heinz Vosgerau Frank Gifford, Mike's father 4-6
Wega Jahnke Mrs. Kennealy 1-2
Robinson Reichel Collins 1-2
Thomas Georgi Jimmy Perkins 1-2
Godfrey Quigley Sir Percy, governor Herbert Weicker 4.6
Seamus Forde Mr. Harcourt, Governor's Associate Peter Capell 4.6
Udo Thomer Mr. Kennealy, friend and colleague of Rob's father 1
Stephan Orlac Headmaster 1
Peter Bongartz Mr. Chalmers, government official 1
Karl Lieffen Dr. White, doctor at the conurban boarding school 2
Josef Glas Old man with rabbit 2
Peter Fowler Dan Penfold Matthias von Stegmann 5
Britta Smith Mrs. Fletscher, Rob's aunt 5
Sean Toibin Roger Penfold Martin Umbach 5
Billie Morton Mrs. Penfold 5
Tom Jordan Mr. Penfold Horst Naumann 5
Emmet Bergin Captain Marshall Bernd Stephan 6th
- teller Michael Brennicke 2-6

Differences from the novel

The series adheres very closely to the novel in part. However, there are also some changes and embellishments that have an impact on the atmosphere and the course of action.

  • In contrast to the more subtle novel, the series clearly shows the conurban part of society from the beginning as a surveillance state with totalitarian tendencies. This is represented by the presence of moving cameras and a monitoring center. From the beginning, the series leaves little doubt that the alleged accidental death of Rob's father is actually a political murder . This point of view is underlined again by Mr. Kennealy's death (which does not appear in the novel). In the novel, Rob only realizes this connection towards the end of the story.
  • In the novel, the place and time of the action are clearly defined. The story takes place in 2052, the setting is England based on numerous place names - Rob comes from the Konurba of London , there are other Konurbas in Sheffield and Southampton , Rob's mother grew up in Gloucestershire , etc. - clearly recognizable. The series plot, on the other hand, is difficult to classify in terms of space and time according to criteria familiar to the viewer. The place names mentioned are anglophone, but cannot be clearly assigned to real places. There is a new era, the starting point of which is the “Great Congress”. On this the division of the society into district and Konurba was decided as well as the strict separation of the two worlds. Further changes were also decided, such as the suspension of space travel . The series action takes place in 84 after the Grand Congress. In the novel, the traditional Christian calendar is still used, the Great Congress is not mentioned, so the prevailing conditions appear as the result of continuous development instead of conscious transformation.
  • In the series, the problem of environmental pollution is clearly addressed. Dying trees, contaminated water, germ phobia and the absence of animals (even for food) in the Konurba contrast with the intact, largely untouched nature in the district. The protection of nature from the human urge to progress is named as a reason for social transformation. In the novel, the environmental thought plays no role.

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