My Uncle Benjamin (1973)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
Original title My uncle Benjamin
Country of production Germany , Hungary
original language German , Hungarian
Publishing year 1973
length 89 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Thomas Engel
script Björn Ericsson
Thomas Engel
production Hungarofilm
ZDF
music Friedrich Scholz
camera Dietmar Koelzer
Rolf Paulerberg
cut Annemarie Rokoss
occupation

My Uncle Benjamin is a German-Hungarian literary film adaptation by Thomas Engel from 1973 . The television film is based on the novel Mein Unkel Benjamin by Claude Tillier .

action

Dr. Benjamin Rathery is outraged because his sister Marie and Pastor Pierre-Louis have chosen a possible fiancée for him behind his back. Benjamin is supposed to marry Arabella Minxit, the daughter of doctor and charlatan Minxit. She is long and skinny, has red hair and freckles, but is a good match. Benjamin knows that Arabella is embraced by the noble Viscount Victor de Pont-Cassé, while he himself, with tacit consent and much to his sister's displeasure, loves the married landlady Manette. Since Marie has already announced Benjamin's visit to the doctor Minxit, he inevitably goes to Minxit's with his brother-in-law Jacques. On the way they meet a sergeant whom they take with them. You make a stopover at Manette and forget the onward journey over food and wine. Marie appears the next morning and takes Benjamin out of Manette's bed. She forces him to go see Minxit with Pierre-Louis.

Minxit owns vast amounts of land and a large estate, which Benjamin does not particularly impress. He is satisfied with his simple circumstances and refuses to go hunting with Minxit and Arabella. Instead, he goes on a hike with Pierre-Louis. Here they both meet the popular Marquis de Chatelot. While Pierre-Louis serves respectfully, Benjamin refuses to greet him, since the Marquis does not greet him, and says "you" to the Marquis when he says "You". The Marquis has him kidnapped to his castle, but refrains from a corporal punishment. Instead, he humiliates him by letting Benjamin kiss his bare bottom in front of his men. Minxit, who set out to rescue Benjamin, wants to avenge him, but Benjamin advises against him. The marquis has more men, and a breach of the peace would all cost dearly. His moment of vengeance came when the marquis swallowed a fish bone while eating and asked Benjamin for help as a doctor. Benjamin first makes it clear to the Marquis that bones are poisonous and can kill quickly, and before the urgently needed rescue insists that the Marquis kiss his bare bum in front of all the employees. Inevitably the marquis agrees. Since Benjamin successfully removes the bone, he also receives a large amount of money from the marquis, which he does not want to keep but rather sends back to the marquis. He doesn't want the Marquis to buy his silence like that. At the same time, however, Benjamin is being sued by a creditor for high debts and sentenced to prison for having behaved improperly towards the court. Minxit buys him out of jail.

Benjamin knows that he has to clean the table. He does not want to marry Arabella, especially since he realizes that she really loves the Viscount Victor de Pont-Cassé. He writes a letter to Minxit in which he renounces the hand of Arabella. Nevertheless, he cannot help insulting Pont-Cassé because of his aristocratic descent and is challenged by him to a duel. Benjamin uses a trick to defeat him in a duel, but spares his life. A little later, Benjamin and Minxit learn that Pont-Cassé and Arabella have fled together. You follow them to an inn. It turns out that Pont-Cassé started a duel here with a guest and was killed in the process. Arabella, who was pregnant by Pont-Cassé, went into premature labor and is dying. Benjamin goes to her and she dies shortly afterwards. Minxit is now a broken man. He knows that there are only a few days left to live and invites all of his friends to a big feast in his house. He wants to be buried on his property, but Pierre-Louis insists on a burial in the cemetery. The pastor finally forbids the congregation to follow the coffin, and so it is Benjamin and the sergeant that Minxit had hired on the estate at Benjamin's request who pay their last respects to Minxit.

production

My uncle Benjamin was shot in co-production by Hungarofilm and ZDF . The film is based on motifs from the novel of the same name by Claude Tillier. Fanny Kemenes created the costumes and Tivadar Bertalan designed the equipment . The film ran for the first time on July 1, 1973 on ZDF on German television. In 2009 it was released on DVD.

Web links