Youth without God (1991)
Jugend ohne Gott is a television film from 1991. It is a film adaptation of the novel Jugend ohne Gott by Ödön von Horváth .
action
Rockstroh is a history teacher in Germany at the beginning of the Nazi era. In the essay by his student Heinrich Neidhart, he highlights passages in which Neidhart expresses disrespect for blacks. A little later, Neidhart's father complains that Rockstroh said in class that blacks are also people; the class requires a different teacher.
A little later, Rockstroh and his students take part in a pre-military training camp. Rockstroh experiences the attack on a peasant woman with the participation of a student from the girls' class housed in the nearby castle. Teacher Rockstroh and the sergeant training the students take on guard shifts when a camera is stolen in the camp.
A little later there were disputes between his students Heinrich and Otto, who were housed in the same tent; Otto cannot sleep at night because Heinrich is writing in his diary. Rockstroh then reads Heinrich's diary. The arguments between the two students continue when Heinrich discovers that the box in his diary has been broken open and he suspects Otto. A little later, Rockstroh found out that Heinrich and Eva, the leader of the girl thief gang, are a couple.
When Rockstroh tries to tell Heinrich that he has read the diary, he learns that Otto Heinrich has made a confession. Otto himself has disappeared and is found slain a little later; Heinrich confesses to the murder.
During the trial, Eva comes under suspicion, among other things because of a compass that was found at the crime scene. When Rockstroh confesses that he has read the diary, he testifies that a strange boy with fish eyes appeared and killed Otto. Heinrich suspects Theodor because he has always wanted to know how birth and death go. Rockstroh's attempts to find out the truth initially come to nothing. Shortly afterwards, Theodor hangs himself and leaves a note that the teacher drove him to his death because he knew that he had killed Otto.
Since Rockstroh lost his office and pension entitlement after his confession in court, he went to a missionary school in Africa as a teacher.
Production and publication
The first broadcast took place on November 24, 1991 in the country chain of German television .
Reviews
“Parable-like (television) drama based on the novel by Ödön von Horváth, which is significantly modified in some striking details, whereby the presence of an admonishing and benevolent God, which is significant for the novel, as a relevant counter-image to the seduced and brutalized youth is almost omitted. Particularly impressive because of the excellent performance in the leading roles. "
Web links
- Youth Without God in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Neue Zeit from November 1, 1991, p. 7
- ↑ Youth without God. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 27, 2017 .