Favorite of the Gods (1960)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Darling of the gods |
 | |
| Country of production | Federal Republic of Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1960 |
| length | 108 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Gottfried Reinhardt |
| script | Georg Hurdalek |
| production | Artur Brauner |
| music | Franz Grothe |
| camera | Göran Strindberg |
| cut | Walter Wischniewsky |
| occupation | |
| |
Liebling der Götter is a German film drama by Gottfried Reinhardt from 1960. It is loosely based on the biography of the actress Renate Müller .
action
Berlin 1931: The film Die Privatsekretärin , in which the young Renate Müller took on her first major role, premiered in the Marble House . The press is waiting for her, but too nervous to appear. She tries to take courage in a wine tavern not far from the cinema and learns to be State Secretary in the Prussian government, Dr. Know Hans Simon. He encourages her and both go to the premiere together. The film was a great success and Renate received orders for several films. She meets with Hans, with whom she falls in love. Her former boyfriend, Volker Hellberg, warns her that the Jew is a Jew and will become a problem for her in the future. Volker is a small bookseller, but wants to get into politics in Munich . Renate initially wants to support him, but she rejects Hans' radical rejection so that she leaves. She soon realizes herself that Hans is in danger, as he is regularly insulted on the phone as a Jew and threatened with death.
Renate throws herself into film work, even if she cannot overlook the political developments. Volker appears injured in her dressing room one evening. He got into a fight and now wants to leave Berlin for good. Renate gives him money for it. Simon, on the other hand, has to go to extraordinary meetings more and more often with his colleagues who discuss the further dealings with Adolf Hitler . The worsening political situation also brings cuts to the love of Simon and Renate: He refrains from proposing to her. Renate finally buys a villa next to his to be close to him. She was filming abroad when the news was announced that Hitler had taken power. Renate immediately travels back to Berlin and looks for Simon, who has been chased out of office and has found shelter with a friend. She helps him escape to Prague , from where Simon emigrates to London . Since the Gestapo suspects that they helped Hans escape, they are interrogated. Volker, who has received a post with the new rulers, saves her from inconvenience: he was able to convince Joseph Goebbels , who is a fan of her art, to release Renate. Her release is linked to the condition that she remains and works in Germany.
Renate pretends to be in a sanatorium in Switzerland , but travels to London to see Hans, whom she visits secretly every month from now on. She plans her emigration and creates large amounts of cash in Switzerland, where she buys a villa. At the same time, she tirelessly shoots films, but vehemently rejects participation in propaganda films . Volker Hellberg, who was entrusted by Goebbels to monitor Renate, takes over Hans' villa. He finally learns that Renate is not only regularly in London, but has also brought 120,000 marks to Switzerland. At the highest order, he questioned Renate in his villa, confiscated her passport and forced her to transfer the money back to Germany by order. In addition, she should be forced to make political films. Renate falls into alcohol and is ultimately barely able to speak properly on set. She finally collapses and is admitted to a mental hospital, where she dies. Hans found out about her stay in the clinic and secretly travels to Berlin, where he is told about Renate's death. He attends her funeral from afar, where she is stylized as "Reich loyalty" and, above all, her last film - a propaganda film - is described as the one that comes closest to her convictions. Volker Hellberg sees Hans walking away from the grave, but walks past him without a word.
Production notes
Artur Brauner had already secured the rights to a film adaptation of Renate Müller's life story from her heirs - mother and sister - in 1957. Brauner contractually undertook not to "defame Renate Müller by distorting the truth". However, the film contains numerous scenes that are not true. The heirs therefore filed an application for an injunction against CCC-Film with the West Berlin district court ; among other things, alcoholism of the main character and her death in psychiatry, which could be interpreted as suicide, were described as untrue. A settlement was finally reached in March 1960; CCC-Film had to clearly emphasize the “loose film adaptation” of the biography. According to the film's opening credits, the work therefore deals “in free design with the life and death of a great artist in unfree time”.
Darling of the Gods was filmed in the CCC Studios Berlin-Spandau from February to March 1960. The costumes created Vera Mügge that Filmbauten come from Fritz Maurischat and Paul Markwitz . The assistant director was Eva Ebner . Ruth Leuwerik sings the songs in the film I'm so happy today and I need love to live . The film premiered on April 12, 1960 at the Gloria Palast in Munich . The ZDF showed the film on January 11, 1969 for the first time on German television in 2011 the film was released on DVD.
Reviews
The film-dienst found that the darling of the gods tried to “take a feeling against the malice of the early Hitler era in the context of cultivated entertainment, whereby thanks to good actors he succeeded in some quite effective scenes.” Der Spiegel perceived the film as “one Art ' Romeo and Juliet in the Third Reich' ”, in which, above all,“ the soulful and efficient Trapp mother of German film ”, Ruth Leuwerik, in the role of“ fun-loving bold ”Renate Müller seems out of place. Especially the re-enacted film scenes by Renate Müller by Ruth Leuwerik are "completely embarrassing". The Protestant film observer comes to the conclusion that the film represents a black and white simplification that is only convincing in touching details.
Awards
For her performance in Liebling der Götter , Ruth Leuwerik was nominated for a German Film Prize in 1960 in the category “ Best Acting Performance - Female Leading Role ”.
literature
- Jonathan Schilling: Prussia again in the film. On images of Prussia in films with Ruth Leuwerik, in: Research on Brandenburg and Prussian History , NF, 29th vol., 2019, H. 1–2, pp. 201–221.
Web links
- Favorite of the gods in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Favorite of the gods at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Favorite of the gods . In: Der Spiegel , No. 13. 1960, p. 88.
- ↑ Favorite of the gods . In: Der Spiegel , No. 13. 1960, p. 89.
- ↑ Favorite of the gods. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ New in Germany: Darling of the Gods (Germany) . In: Der Spiegel , No. 18, 1960, pp. 88-89.
- ↑ Evangelischer Presseverband München, Review No. 295/1960