Comedian Emil
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Comedian Emil |
| Country of production | GDR |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1980 |
| length | 95 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Joachim Hasler |
| script | Joachim Hasler |
| production | DEFA , KAG "Berlin" |
| music | Gerd Natschinski |
| camera | Peter Krause |
| cut | Anneliese Hinze-Sokolowa |
| occupation | |
| |
Komödianten-Emil is a German DEFA film directed by Joachim Hasler in 1980.
action
In the early 1930s in Berlin. Emil Damaschke, as a cabaret artist, would like to entertain people with his program - together with Ida, the attraction from Hungary. When the "Rosenthaler" in which he works goes bankrupt, he earns his money as a funeral orator. At a funeral, he got in touch with the professional thug Hakenjakob for the first time, and when he was buried he also came into contact with the police. Then he stands in a burglary dope. Arrested by the police there is a reunion with Hakenjakob in prison. Since Emil Damaschke is responsible for his arrest, problems arise.
After his release, Emil goes back to the “Rosenthaler”. The new Jewish owners have brought the cabaret back to life with the previous artists, but the former operators, who profess their support for the National Socialists , are trying to drive them out of the premises again. After the Jewish owners had to leave Germany because of tax evasion alleged by the Nazis, the employees of the cabaret founded a cooperative. So they hope to be able to keep their job, but are blackmailed by the criminals with demands for protection money. Emil refuses Ida's intention to win the workers as a new audience, he prefers to make money by advertising for the surrounding businesses and refuses to face the criminals.
The cashier, a member of the previous owners of the cabaret, lures Ida into a forest, rapes and murders her. With false statements, the criminal gang ensures that Emil is attached to this murder and he ends up in prison again. Here he meets Hakenjakob again, who wants to use a knife to show him the limits. In the fight between the two, Emil gets the knife in his hand and probably accidentally stabs Hooked Jacob. Now even the well-meaning police superintendent can no longer help.
The criminals take over the "Rosenthaler" again, this time in Nazi uniform.
production
The shooting locations in Berlin were the Handwerkervereinhaus in Sophienstrasse and on Museum Island . In addition to Joachim Hasler, Claus and Wera Küchenmeister also worked on the scenario , and Wera also wrote the lyrics for the songs. The Molly Sisters, known in the GDR, also played in smaller roles .
Komödianten-Emil was filmed on ORWO- Color by the artistic working group “Berlin” and had its world premiere on April 3, 1980 in the Kosmos cinema in Berlin . On February 19, 1983, the film was shown for the first time in the 2nd program of the television of the GDR .
criticism
In the Neue Zeit , Helmut Ullrich said that the story of the film is very much based on the American film Cabaret . But while cabaret can be compared to a good, old real cognac, Comedian Emil leaves you with a headache, as if you had drunk a cheap brandy blend.
Günter Sobe from the Berliner Zeitung also has the same opinion regarding the similarity to Cabaret . It has been tried without a doubt to present diversity, complexity, and thus a wide range of offers. The foreground and background should be used to entertain. However, because the creators apparently wanted to stylize the entertaining Tingeltangelfreudentanz into the deeply reflective Tingeltangeltotentanz, an incongruous result ultimately remains.
For Horst Knietzsch from New Germany , the concentration of different stories and situations with cabaret, dance, music, murder and sexual crimes, Nazis, crooks, bankers, homosexuals and transvestites is the main problem of the film.
Lexicon of International Films called the film a failed musical tragicomedy with a clichéd and coarse superficial cut. The clearly visible example of cabaret is in no way achieved.
literature
- F.-B. Habel : The great lexicon of DEFA feature films . Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-89602-349-7 , pp. 334-335 .
Web links
- Comedian-Emil in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Komödianten-Emil at filmportal.de
- Comedian Emil at the DEFA Foundation
Individual evidence
- ↑ Neue Zeit from April 10, 1980; P. 4.
- ↑ Berliner Zeitung of April 5, 1980; P. 7.
- ^ New Germany of April 7, 1980; P. 4.
- ↑ Comedians Emil. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .