The last people
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The last people |
| Country of production | Germany |
| Publishing year | 1919 |
| length | 105 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Richard Oswald |
| script | Richard Oswald Robert Liebmann |
| production | Richard Oswald |
| camera | Karl friend |
| occupation | |
| |
The Last People is a German science fiction film from 1919 by Richard Oswald based on the Ullstein novel of the same name by Werner Scheff . It is the continuation of Oswald's production Die Arche .
action
The plot of the film connects directly to Oswald's Die Arche . After the tail of Lund's comet, with its high carbon monoxide content, temporarily made life on the blue planet impossible and largely destroyed all life, the resurrected submarine travelers are obviously the last people in the world. On the way home with the “hijacked” passenger ship Gloria, the survivors decide to found a new human civilization. However, they only have three women as a “basis”. The Seeheide estate was founded. From now on, one wants to trust the technology and the performance principle and strictly observe the eugenic rules worked out by the Japanese scholar Keigo Sotume .
But soon new adversity threatens, which seems to break up the group: First it is decided that the helmsman Volkert has to leave the project “start-up” because of persistent drunkenness, then the submarine builder Walter Fahr resigns voluntarily. For genetic reasons - he is the carrier of a hereditary disease - he believes that he will not marry Helga Pogge, the daughter of the shipowner Ernst Pogge, whom he loves, and that he will not be allowed to reproduce. One day, a group of Swedes arrives who have survived in a mine and are home to children of both sexes. The existence of the human race thus seems assured. After numerous other obstacles and entanglements, in the end all those involved reunite, which makes hope for a new world seem justified.
Production notes
In 1917, the German writer Werner Scheff had presented a science fiction with the title “The Ark”, which was published in January 1918 by Ullstein in Berlin. His end-time vision is seen as a literary response to the use of submarines and poison gas in World War I. Like the novel, the film is also heavily influenced by the impressions of the First World War just a few months ago . It was created during the censorship-free period and was published in October 1919, immediately after Die Arche (premiere in September 1919), in the Richard-Oswald-Lichtspiele under the title “The last people: Die Arche. 2nd part ”premiered. The last people had a length of 2164 and 2161 meters, divided into seven acts. The film structures were designed by Julius Hahlo; Karl Freund was at the camera . Only after the reintroduction of the Reich film censorship was the film available for examination on July 16, 1920 and was banned for young people under number 112.
Reviews
“With this material, the advantages of the film are given at the same time: Wonderful mood painting, witty views and juxtapositions and powerful progressive action that forces its viewer under its spell towards the end. (...) [Oswald's] lively production is able to overcome the weaknesses of the manuscript. "
“In some of their apocalyptic visions of the destruction of the Old World, the Expressionists leaned on the symbolism of the Flood. For her and other authors, an example of such destruction was the First World War "
Paimann's film lists summed up: “The subject is very exciting. Photos, scenery and especially the game excellent (a hit of the first rank) "
The film was also reviewed by:
- Film Courier No. 104, 1919
- The film No. 41, 1919
- Cinematograph No. 666, 1919
- Film world No. 14, 1919
- Rhine. Film Art Stage No. 2, 1919
and is recorded at
- Gerhard Lamprecht, German Silent Films Vol. 19 No. 227
literature
- Paul Goetsch: Functions of the Flood story in modern German literature. In: Franz H. Link: Paradeigmata. Part. 20th century. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot publishing house. ISBN 978-3-428-46723-5
- Garrett Putnam Serviss: The Second Deluge. A semi-scientific novel. First edition 1912, new edition. Westport, 1974
- Kay Less : "In life, more is taken from you than given ...". Lexicon of filmmakers who emigrated from Germany and Austria between 1933 and 1945. A general overview. ACABUS Verlag, Hamburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-86282-049-8 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ cf. Less p. 1980–1981
- ↑ cf. Goetsch p. 692
- ↑ The last people in Paimann's film lists ( Memento of the original from March 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
