Emilia (film)

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Movie
Original title Emilia
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 2005
length 85 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Henrik Pfeifer
script Henrik Pfeifer
production Pascal Ulli
camera Olivier Kolb
occupation

Emilia is a modern film adaptation of the theater classic Emilia Galotti by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, made in 2005 . Henrik Pfeifer is the director and screenwriter . “Emilia” tells of people in Berlin today , but who speak in Lessing's original language.

action

Hettore is a much acclaimed actor at the theater, where he plays the Prince of Guastalla in Lessing's Emilia Galotti . Women's hearts are at his feet. He is also the owner of a renowned night club. One evening after the performance he discovers the young and pretty Emilia in his club and is immediately carried away by her. Subconsciously, he now takes on the role of the prince in real life and has only one thought: He wants to conquer Emilia's heart. When he learns that Emilia wants to marry the lawyer Appiani, he is devastated. Hettore's unscrupulous manager Marinelli fears that his star's heartache could negatively affect his success. So he hatches a devilish plan to take Emilia out of her future groom Appiani. He has their wedding limousine ambushed, Emilia kidnapped and Appiani murdered. Emilia develops feelings for her supposed savior Hettore. Well tested in the field of seduction, Hettore succeeds in seducing Emilia. Orsina, the aggrieved ex-lover of Hettore, sees through the game. She betrays Hettore to Emilia's father and hopes for revenge. Emilia, who mourns her dead fiancé Appiani, is completely confused. On the one hand she loves Hettore, on the other hand she feels that a love that is based on the death of another does not last. She is thinking of suicide.

background

The film Emilia is an adaptation of the drama Emilia Galotti by Lessing. As with the original, there is a great social difference between the two protagonists Hettore and Emilia. In Lessing's classic, it is a prince who falls in love with the girl Emilia - in the film, it is the theater star who falls in love with a little pizza baker. It is above all the end of the film that points in a different direction. Emilia kills herself (if at all) and does not let the father do the deed. The interpretation that Emilia is faking her suicide is possible, but it can also be that Hettore succeeds in preventing suicide at the crucial moment. The fact that Hettore and Emilia reappear at the end, after fading into white (end), could be a replenishment in the sense of “it could go on as happy as that”. The end of the film was deliberately designed by the makers so that it can be interpreted in different ways. While the producer wanted to stay closer to the original, the director wanted to leave open the possibility of pretense.

The use of Lessing's original language creates a simultaneously realistic and enraptured atmosphere, which is further enhanced by the post-processing and coloring. According to producer Pascal Ulli, one of the main goals of the film Emilia is to preserve Lessing's language and to bring Lessing's language closer to young people .

Emergence

Director Henrik Pfeifer saw a film adaptation of Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke as Hamlet and was deeply impressed. He thought it was great how this film managed to bring an old artificial language into the present. The film transports the characters into the present and thereby provides a new approach to a classic. And so Pfeifer wondered why there is not a single German modern classic film adaptation. The figure of Emilia had already made a strong impression on Pfeifer during his school days. The urge for freedom and independence is no less important today than in Lessing's time, and class differences are still present.

In Pfeifer's opinion, the drama as well as the film Emilia is about her struggle for freedom and independence. Emilia becomes a plaything between the interests of everyone involved. Hettore's confession of love makes her sway. For the first time she wonders what she really wants. The song “Of course I can fly” by the band Anjaka (singer Anja Krabbe ) is about breaking free from old chains and finding your way. Since this is exactly what the film Emilia is about, Pfeifer chose this music for his film.

The TV premiere of Emilia was on November 21, 2005, the cinema premiere at the Film Festival in Solothurn (Switzerland) on January 20, 2006.

Reviews

  • An unusual theatrical film that puts the language of the stage and the formal language of the cinema in an exciting relationship - ZDFtheaterkanal
  • Convinced by unusual imagery - Berliner Zeitung
  • Thunderous applause for a mix of chamber play, thriller and groovy music video - TV Today
  • The ensemble convinces - TV feature film
  • Wonderful actors - listen
  • Ambitious experiment - TV movie

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