Young people in the city

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Movie
Original title Young people in the city
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1985
length 86 minutes
Rod
Director Karl Heinz Lotz
script Karl Heinz Lotz
production DEFA , KAG "Berlin"
music Andreas Aigmüller
camera Günter Haubold
cut Helga Gentz
occupation

Young People in the City is a DEFA film by Karl Heinz Lotz from 1985 based on the novel of the same name by Rudolf Braune from 1932.

action

Emanuel, a young man, hangs around in front of a Berlin train station during the Great Depression at the end of the twenties, where the taxis make a turn and then slowly move up in line while their chauffeurs hope for a cheap deal. The drivers hardly pay any attention to their unemployed colleagues. When he asked if he should be allowed to do at least one lap, he waved off tiredly. Finally someone lets him behind the wheel, but only so that the car is not unattended while the driver runs to a urinal. He has been unemployed for two years and decides to move back to the countryside to live with his parents. Before leaving, he would like to at least drive through Berlin one more time. His friend, the taxi driver Fritz, lends him his taxi because he also has problems, namely because of his fiancée Frieda. She works in a department store and is constantly sexually blackmailed by her boss.

Emanuel is lucky. A ballet troupe arrives at the train station and, after performing several times outside of Germany, they can now work in a Berlin hotel again. Two of these dancers now want to be driven home by him. When they arrive at their destination, the girls find that Susi has forgotten her suitcase at the train station and therefore cannot pay for the trip. But Emanuel needs the money because he has to settle the trip with Fritz. He locks the girls in his apartment and wants to get the suitcase. However, he does not receive this from the lost property office. So he releases the dancers again and hopes that his unemployment benefit will be paid out to pay off his debts. The arrogance of the officials leads to a riot at the payment point. A police raid squad is supposed to bring order to this demonstration. A police officer is seriously injured by a large dagger. Emanuel, who is standing nearby, is suspected of having carried out the sting and flees.

The policeman Korn wants to marry Gerda, who lives in an apartment with Susi. Gerda doesn't love him, but an officer is a sure thing at this time. When he arrives at the station, he claims to have seen Emanuel stabbing. A witness who claims otherwise will be put to the test himself so that he will withdraw his testimony. Based on his assertion, the policeman Korn is promised a promotion. In the evening he goes to the revue to see Gerda on the show. Emanuel is also here, backstage, because he has fallen a little in love with Susi. He also wants to tell her that he will stay in Berlin. A position at the company became vacant due to the accident of a taxi driver so that he can start there the next day.

Frieda is also in the hotel, fighting with herself and her boss, who has taken a room here for the night. She even escapes the house. Standing in the hotel entrance, she is seen by her fiancé, who drives on. In order to keep the job, Frieda goes back to Reinhardt's room and gives herself to him.

Emanuel is expelled from the stage because he has no business there. Once in the hall, he is recognized by the policeman Korn and arrested by him after a brief pursuit. At the same time, Susi is drawn to one of the guests, who has thus won a night with her. On the street, Susi, in her winner's car, and Emanuel, in the police car, can briefly wave to each other as they leave.

production

Young People in the City was filmed on ORWO color by the artistic working group “Berlin” under the working title “Children of the Big City” and had its premiere on November 21, 1985 in the Berlin Kino International . The first broadcast on the first program of the GDR television took place on April 9, 1987. A lot of contemporary documentary film material is used, one can say integrated. The film was made with the assistance of the Barrandov film studio .

criticism

On Sunday , Fred Gehler thinks the film deserves praise for the right things, encouragement and encouragement for its stylistic ambition. Günter Sobe found in the Berliner Zeitung that the “big” story touches the small fate, mostly shadowy, sometimes unmistakable. Interesting and intelligent processing of the milieu, a moral picture. In the Neue Zeit , Klaus M. Fiedler writes after the premiere: Everyday stories are told by people who live on the dark side of these “golden years”. The plot is thrifty, and it seems above all to respond to the hopes, fears, and premonitions of young people.

Awards

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fred Gehler in Sunday No. 51, 1985
  2. ^ Günter Sobe in the Berliner Zeitung of November 22, 1985
  3. ↑ Klaus M. Fiedler in the New Time of November 29, 1985