Close to the Wind (1970)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Close to the wind |
| Country of production | GDR |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1970 |
| length | 99 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Heinz Thiel |
| script |
Erwin Anders Margot Beichler Bernd Braun Willi Brückner Heinz Thiel |
| production | DEFA , KAG "Johannisthal" |
| music | Gerd Natschinski |
| camera |
Erwin Anders Günter Heimann |
| cut | Bärbel Weigel |
| occupation | |
| |
Hart am Wind is a German DEFA film directed by Heinz Thiel in 1970 . Like its counterpart, Anflug Alpha 1 , it served to advertise the National People's Army and was created in close cooperation with the People's Navy .
action
Peter is a brigadier of an electrician brigade at a shipyard on the Baltic Sea. The Drews Brigade is one of the flagship brigades , although Peter is not only popular with his arrogant manner. His girlfriend Brigitte, who is also part of the brigade, has felt patronized by Peter for a long time and reacts increasingly irritated to his way. Even newcomers have a hard time in the brigade and have to prove themselves before they get a chance from Peter. One day Peter receives his draft notice to join the People's Navy. He immediately decides that the brigade should go to the Navy as a single unit, even though military service at three years of age is almost twice as long as normal military service. In his opinion, Brigitte should take a distance learning course during this time, but she knows that she will now be responsible for the brigade when most of the others are gone. Four electricians end up joining Peter.
Peter also initially sets the tone for the Navy. His superiors, including Captain Baumert, initially let him go, Peter is one of the best, always with full commitment and always among the first. During an exercise with a gas mask, Peter cheats: To save time, he puts the mask on, but does not connect the air hose to the breathing air filter. Although he is initially faster in the field than the others in his group, he collapses shortly before the end due to lack of oxygen as a result of tear gas use. He has to be dragged to the finish and his troops therefore do not win the exercise. At the FDJ meeting, Peter excuses himself: Victory is always more important and not the way to it. The members of his group, however, accuse him of using unfair means and not working with the group but against the group. You turn away from him. Captain Baumert is also disappointed. On the other hand, when he goes ashore, Peter once again treats Brigitte in such a condescending way that she angrily throws him out. A little later she parted ways with him in writing.
Peter is helpless and helpless. His former brigade members cut him, he has made no friends and is lovesick. Captain Baumert rebuilds it. It must always go on. In addition, he should not allow Brigitte to be "stolen" by someone else. Peter catches himself. He submits, lets others have the floor, but gives everything in the group during exercises. The group grows together and everyone finds joy in their work again. Brigitte also has a sense of achievement on land, as she manages to shape the new brigade and make it perform well. She finds a new friend in Lieutenant Werner Asmus, but Peter fights for her and she also hears from others that he has changed. He invites them to the Kutterrees and the subsequent fleet ball . Although she does not appear at first, he sees her at the ball with Werner at the end. He is discouraged at first, but she tells him that she missed her bus and Werner therefore took her with him. They happily embrace and Captain Baumert is satisfied. A little later, Peter is suggested to pursue an officer career in the Navy. He says that he will let them think about it.
production
Hart am Wind was filmed from 1969 under the working titles Reefs and Five Lords and One Love . The costumes were created by Dorit Gründel , the film structures are by Hans Poppe . The Ministry of Defense of the GDR was involved in the making of the film, as the film was intended to promote the NVA , especially among young people . Most of the scenes in the film on a combat ship were shot on the minesweeping and clearing ship “Ueckermünde” ( bow number 304 ), a ship of the condor class . In addition, a contact with the fleet service boat Oste of the Federal Navy is discussed. In addition to being implemented as a color film, Gerd Natschinski's music was also aimed at a young audience. Frank Schöbel sang the hit song There are so many beautiful things in life , which can be heard repeatedly in the film . The shooting team was advised by Captain Gerhard Larisch and Lieutenant Hans-Peter Zarncke, the latter also taking on a supporting role in the film. The film dienst called Hart am Wind an "embarrassing advertising film for military service in the People's Navy."
Hart am Wind experienced its premiere on June 26, 1970 in the open-air theater "Junge Garde" in Dresden . It ran as the opening film of the IX, which is taking place in all districts . Summer film days of the GDR. The film was released in the GDR cinemas on July 17, 1970 and was shown in October 1970 during the GDR Film Week in the USSR and in December 1970 during the GDR Film Week in Kiev. On May 1, 1972, he was seen for the first time on DFF 1 on television in the GDR. In August 2014 the film was released on DVD by Icestorm .
criticism
The film mirror called the implementation of the topic optimistic, young and fresh, but still found that the film was too superficial and striking to fully reach the target audience. For the film service , Hart am Wind was "stylish, unimaginative and with intrusive leading-edge dialogues."
Awards
Director Heinz Thiel received the Theodor Körner Prize for Hart am Wind in 1971 .
literature
- F.-B. Habel : The great lexicon of DEFA feature films . Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-89602-349-7 , pp. 231-232 .
- Gerhard Wiechmann: "We are here to protect our homeland" - The staging of the Volksmarine in the DEFA feature film "Hart am Wind" . In: Hans Ehlert , Matthias Rogg (Hrsg.): Military, State and Society in the GDR: Fields of Research, Results, Perspectives . Links, Berlin 2004, ISBN 978-3-86153-329-0 , pp. 651-684.
- Christian Klötzer: The military area of our society in film art. Soldiers of the NVA in feature films , Potsdam (VEB Defa-Studio for feature films, company academy) 1971 (From the theory and practice of film, 1971, no.1)
- Stefan Kahlau: People's Army in Transition? The depiction of the NVA in the DEFA feature film from the 1950s to the 1970s , Munich (AVMpress) 2015. ISBN 978-3-86924-627-7
Web links
- Close to the wind in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Close to the wind at filmportal.de
- Close to the wind at the DEFA Foundation
Individual evidence
- ↑ F.-B. Habel : The great lexicon of DEFA feature films . Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-89602-349-7 , pp. 232 .
- ↑ a b Hart am Wind in the Lexicon of International Films
- ↑ See the year 1970 on defa.de.
- ↑ Marlis Tico: A handful of everyday life . In: Filmspiegel , No., 14, 1970, p. 8.