Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt (Film)
Encyclopedia
Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt (The Adventures of Werner Holt) is an East German film
. It was released in 1965.
soldier stationed on the eastern border of Germany in the last days of World War II
, is awaiting the attack of the Red Army
with his friend and commander Gilbert Wolzow. Holt recalls the last two years of his life: his meeting with Wolzow, their conscription, his experience as an assistant in an anti-aircraft battery. He remembers how he began to lose fate in the war's aims, after witnessing the brutal crushing of the Slovak National Uprising
and having a sexual encounter with an SS officer's wife, which left him disgusted. After that, he realized that his father's claims about millions of people being murdered in the concentration camps were true.
As the Soviets attack, Wolzow orders his ill-equipped soldiers to hold to the last man. Holt flees, only to hear that his friend was himself accused of treason by an SS blocking detachment. He arrives in time to see Wolzow hanged. Enraged, Holt grabs a machine-gun and mows down the executioners. He then deserts.
's best-selling novel, The Adventures of Werner Holt
, for which he received East Germany's National Prize
at 1963.
Director Joachim Kunert, writer Claus Küchenmeister and cinematographer Rolf Sohre all won the National Prize of East Germany, 2nd Class, on 6 October 1965. The film was also selected as the best film of the year by the readers of the magazine Junge Welt, and its producers were honored with the Erich Weinert Medal. Abroad, The Adventures of Werner Holt received the Prize for the Best Anti-Fascist Film and the Prize of the Soviet Peace Committee in the 5th Moscow International Film Festival
, as well as a Honorary Diplom in the 1965 Edinburgh Film Festival. In addition, It was granted an Honorary Medal in the 1966 Carthage Film Festival
.
On 6 February 1965, the National Zeitung columnist Hartmut Albrect wrote that the picture contained "extraordinary, well-made scenes that convey deeper messages than those immediately noticed." Günter Sobe from the Berliner Zeitung
dubbed the picture as "remarkably authentic" that has "a powerful effect." Critic Ulrich Gregor praised Kunert's decision to split the plot into two storylines in order to deal with the chronological inconsistency of Noll's book. The German International Film Lexicon described the picture as "one that causes shock... and warns against misguided ideals."
Sabine Hake cited The Adventures of Werner Holt as one of the most notable films that, using a modernist style, challenged the traditional East German Anti-Fascist narrative by introducing a more personal perspective to the theme. Anke Pinkert, too, viewed it as a picture that dealt with the issue of in a more realistic manner than previous works. James Chapman wrote that the "flashbacks and the stream-of-concioucenss techniques" employed by the director enabled Kunert to present "a fully rounded protagonist". Daniela Berghan included the film among DEFA's Anti-Fascist classics. Authors Antonin and Miera Liehm classified it as one the "army epics", a genre that used the setting of the German military to convey strong criticism of the country's militaristic tradition.
On 1996, The Adventured of Werner Holt was selected by a commission of historians and critics as one of the hundred most important German films ever made.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. It was released in 1965.
Plot
Werner Holt, a young WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
soldier stationed on the eastern border of Germany in the last days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, is awaiting the attack of the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
with his friend and commander Gilbert Wolzow. Holt recalls the last two years of his life: his meeting with Wolzow, their conscription, his experience as an assistant in an anti-aircraft battery. He remembers how he began to lose fate in the war's aims, after witnessing the brutal crushing of the Slovak National Uprising
Slovak National Uprising
The Slovak National Uprising or 1944 Uprising was an armed insurrection organized by the Slovak resistance movement during World War II. It was launched on August 29 1944 from Banská Bystrica in an attempt to overthrow the collaborationist Slovak State of Jozef Tiso...
and having a sexual encounter with an SS officer's wife, which left him disgusted. After that, he realized that his father's claims about millions of people being murdered in the concentration camps were true.
As the Soviets attack, Wolzow orders his ill-equipped soldiers to hold to the last man. Holt flees, only to hear that his friend was himself accused of treason by an SS blocking detachment. He arrives in time to see Wolzow hanged. Enraged, Holt grabs a machine-gun and mows down the executioners. He then deserts.
Cast
- Klaus-Peter Thiele - Werner Holt
- Manfred Karge - Gilbert Wolzow
- Arno Wyzniewski - Sepp Gomulka
- Günter Junghans - Christian Vetter
- Peter Reusse - Peter Wiese
- Dietlinde Greiff - Marie Krüger
- Angelica DomröseAngelica DomröseAngelica Domröse is a German actress, who became famous in the role of Paula in Heiner Carow's film "The Legend of Paul and Paula". Her Mediterranean appearance is the result of her biological father being a prisoner of war from France.-Life:After training as a shorthand typist Domröse worked in a...
- Uta Barnim - Maria Alexander - Gertie Ziesche
- Monika Woytowicz - Gundel Thieß
- Wolfgang LanghoffWolfgang LanghoffWolfgang Langhoff was a German theatre, film and television actor and theatre director.-Early career:...
- Professor Holt - Wolf KaiserWolf KaiserWolf Kaiser was a German theatre and film actor. He grew up in Switzerland, where he studied chemistry and physiology. In 1937 he was deemed unfit for service in the Wehrmacht, and then went to Berlin where he trained as an actor.-Career:...
- General Wolzow - Erika Pelikowsky - Mrs. Wolzow
- Martin Flörchinger - Attorney Gomulka
- Helga Göring - Mrs. Gomulka
- Ingeborg Ottmann - Mrs. Wiese
- Norbert Christian - Knaack
- Kurt Steingraf - director Maaß
- Hans-Joachim Hanisch - Sergeant Gottesknecht
- Adolf Peter Hoffmann - Captain Kutschera
- Herbert Körbs - General
Production
The script was based on Dieter NollDieter Noll
Dieter Noll was a German writer. His best known work is the two volume novel Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt from the early 1960s which had sold over two million copies by his death.-Life:...
's best-selling novel, The Adventures of Werner Holt
Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt
Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt is a novel in two parts by East German author Dieter Noll. The first tomb was released at 1960 and the second in 1963. Noll won the National Prize of East Germany for the book, and it sold some two million copies. The novel was incorporated into the country's school...
, for which he received East Germany's National Prize
National Prize of East Germany
The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic was an award of the German Democratic Republic given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, and other meritorious achievement...
at 1963.
Reception
The film sold more than three million tickets in East Germany alone, and was well received in the Soviet Union. It was one of the relatively few DEFA pictures to be released in West Germany, where it enjoyed considerable success, as well.Director Joachim Kunert, writer Claus Küchenmeister and cinematographer Rolf Sohre all won the National Prize of East Germany, 2nd Class, on 6 October 1965. The film was also selected as the best film of the year by the readers of the magazine Junge Welt, and its producers were honored with the Erich Weinert Medal. Abroad, The Adventures of Werner Holt received the Prize for the Best Anti-Fascist Film and the Prize of the Soviet Peace Committee in the 5th Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
, as well as a Honorary Diplom in the 1965 Edinburgh Film Festival. In addition, It was granted an Honorary Medal in the 1966 Carthage Film Festival
Carthage Film Festival
The Carthage Film Festival is a biannual October film festival hosted by the government of Tunisia. It alternates with the Damascus International Film Festival....
.
On 6 February 1965, the National Zeitung columnist Hartmut Albrect wrote that the picture contained "extraordinary, well-made scenes that convey deeper messages than those immediately noticed." Günter Sobe from the Berliner Zeitung
Berliner Zeitung
The Berliner Zeitung, founded in 1945, is a German center-left daily newspaper based in Berlin, published by Berliner Verlag. It is the only East German paper to achieve national prominence since unification. In 2003, the Berliner was Berlin's largest subscription newspaper—the weekend...
dubbed the picture as "remarkably authentic" that has "a powerful effect." Critic Ulrich Gregor praised Kunert's decision to split the plot into two storylines in order to deal with the chronological inconsistency of Noll's book. The German International Film Lexicon described the picture as "one that causes shock... and warns against misguided ideals."
Sabine Hake cited The Adventures of Werner Holt as one of the most notable films that, using a modernist style, challenged the traditional East German Anti-Fascist narrative by introducing a more personal perspective to the theme. Anke Pinkert, too, viewed it as a picture that dealt with the issue of in a more realistic manner than previous works. James Chapman wrote that the "flashbacks and the stream-of-concioucenss techniques" employed by the director enabled Kunert to present "a fully rounded protagonist". Daniela Berghan included the film among DEFA's Anti-Fascist classics. Authors Antonin and Miera Liehm classified it as one the "army epics", a genre that used the setting of the German military to convey strong criticism of the country's militaristic tradition.
On 1996, The Adventured of Werner Holt was selected by a commission of historians and critics as one of the hundred most important German films ever made.
External links
- Original poster on filmportal.de.