Michael Kohlhaas - the rebel

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Movie
Original title Michael Kohlhaas - the rebel
Country of production Federal Republic of Germany
original language German , English
Publishing year 1969
length 99 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Volker Schlöndorff
script Clement Biddle Wood
Volker Schlöndorff
Edward Bond
production Elliott Kastner
Jerry Gershwin
Jerome Bick
Rob Houwer
music Stanley Myers
Peter Sandloff
camera Willy Kurant
cut Claus from Boro
occupation

Michael Kohlhaas - The Rebel is a German literary film adaptation by the director Volker Schlöndorff from 1969, based on the novella by Heinrich von Kleist , in which a righteous horse dealer defends himself against the injustice he has suffered, arousing public interest, but ultimately fails and executed becomes.

action

The horse dealer Michael Kohlhaas is on his way to the market in Wittenberg with a paddock of magnificent animals when, contrary to all previous customs, a permit is required from him in the area of ​​Junkers Wenzel von Tronka. Kohlhaas has to leave two horses behind as security that he will hand in the certificate later.

In Wittenberg he learns that he still doesn't need a permit. When he returns to Tronka's castle, he finds the horses as miserable Moravians, they have been left to work hard in the fields and have been left half starved. Kohlhaas indignantly refuses to take the animals back in this condition and demands reparations. He goes to court, but to no avail. Shortly afterwards, a terrible blow hits him: when his wife Elisabeth tries to hand over a petition at court, she has a fatal accident.

In his desperation, Kohlhaas gives the Junker an ultimatum; When the set deadline has passed, he and his servants raid Tronka's castle at night and burn it down. However, the Junker escapes to Wittenberg. Kohlhaas pursues him there with a steadily growing bunch of rebellious peasants, laid-off soldiers and robber rabbits who are only interested in booty where they seek justice.

When the Wittenberg authorities refused to extradite the Junker, Kohlhaas and his men raided the city and set fire to them. The growing unrest comes extremely inconvenient for the elector, which is why he assures Kohlhaas of impunity through Martin Luther and a resumption of his trial against the Junker if he dissolves his army and surrenders. Kohlhaas accepts the offer and rides to Dresden. There his fate is fulfilled.

Reviews

“Kleist's Michael Kohlhaas ('One of the most righteous and horrific people of his time', Heinrich von Kleist) becomes the focus of an elaborate action film for Schlöndorff. The well-known director mainly used the external drama of the historical material, but made references to the present with contemporary documentary recordings of the opening credits. "

- Bavarian television

"Routinely staged, politically contradicting film, which also spectacularly portrays blatant atrocities."

- Lexicon of international film

“Colorful, tension-filled film adaptation of the Kleist story by the fanatical lawyer Michael Kohlhaas, who is causing an uproar in the Electorate of Saxony for the sake of two cents. Volker Schlöndorff shot a powerful ballad that only differs from Italian western images in terms of time and costume. Nevertheless, a remarkable preparation of a classic for the screen friends of 16 years. "

- Protestant film observer

See also

literature

  • Michael Staiger: Michael Kohlhaas in the media change. A comparison of Kleist's narrative with its filmic transformations. In: German lessons. 63, No. 1, 2011, ISSN  0340-2258 , pp. 55-67.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ BR-Online.de ( Memento from May 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ Michael Kohlhaas - the rebel. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ↑ Evangelischer Film-Beobachter, Review No. 159/1969, Volume 21, p. 162.