Ultimatum (1938)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | ultimatum |
| Country of production | France |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1938 |
| length | 83 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Robert Wiene Robert Siodmak |
| script |
Leo Lania Pierre Allary |
| production |
Hermann Millakowsky Robert Wiene |
| music | Adolphe Borchard |
| camera |
Ted Pahle Robert Lefebvre Jacques Mercanton |
| cut | Tonka Taldy |
| occupation | |
| |
Ultimatum is a French film drama from 1938 by Robert Wiene and Robert Siodmak, set in the July crisis of 1914, on the eve of the First World War . Dita Parlo and Erich von Stroheim can be seen in the main roles . The story is based on a novel by Ewald Bertram .
action
As a result of the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne Franz-Ferdinand in Sarajevo in June 1914 by Serbian terrorists, there is considerable diplomatic tension between Vienna and Belgrade. Vienna gives the Serbs an ultimatum. The Serbian side is represented by the head of the secret service Simovic, the Austrian by Captain Burgstaller, officially accredited as a journalist in Belgrade, but de facto Vienna's secret service man in Belgrade. Outwardly, both sides maintain their form, appear politely and correctly diplomatically, but watch each other to closely observe every step of the future opponent. Anna Salic, the native Austrian who is married to the Serbian officer Stanko Salic, sits between the chairs. Salic is also employed by a secret service, the Serbian. Salic receives an assignment from Simovic, who is sitting in a wheelchair, for a secret espionage mission that is to take him to Austria. The geopolitical constellation now also threatens tensions in both marriage, especially since Burgstaller and Salic are actually friends and both once vigorously advertised Anna's favor.
Burgstaller meets with Anna secretly in a Belgrade park and urgently advises her to return to her family in Austria, as the danger of an all-encompassing war is eminent. Anna prefers to stay, but gives Burgstaller a letter to her parents in Vienna. This encounter is observed by a Serbian agent and Simovic reported. He assumes that Burgstaller and Anna, who are Serbian citizens through their marriage, are in Austrian espionage services. Salic, who knows that behind Burgstaller's official journalist activity is the actual activity of an Austrian secret service man, finds out about it, is furious and seeks a confrontation. Can he still trust his wife at all? Soon everything gets out of control and nobody trusts anyone anymore. His mission soon puts Salic in great danger, from which his old friend Burgstaller of all people is trying to save him. In the end everything is in vain: Salic is suspected of being a spy by his own people and is seriously wounded, and his inconsolable wife has to flee from the Serbs to his old homeland, Austria.
Production notes
Ultimatum was written from May to July 1938 in the François Ier studios in Paris . When director Wiene fell ill, his colleague Siodmak, who also emigrated to France, took over the direction from June 13th to 18th, 1938. Shortly before the end of the shooting in July, Wiene died unexpectedly, so that Siodmak finished the film. Ultimatum premiered in Paris on October 27, 1938; the film was never shown in Germany.
Émile Duquesne designed the film structures. Actress Lila Kedrova , who only became famous after the war (Oscar for best supporting role in Alexis Sorbas ), made her film debut here. Long-time Pabst employee Georg C. Horsetzky took over the production management under the French-speaking pseudonym Charles-Georges Horset.
For Erich von Stroheim and Dita Parlo this film meant a reunion after only one year. Both had already participated in Jean Renoir's legendary, peoples-connecting production The Great Illusion in 1937 . In this film, however, they hadn't shared scenes.
Web links
- Ultimatum in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Robert Siodmak - author, director . In: CineGraph - Lexikon zum Deutschsprachigen Film , Lg. 14, F 8