Opfergang
Encyclopedia
Opfergang is a 1944 German film directed by Veit Harlan
. It is based on Rudolf G. Binding
's work of the same title, with alterations for propaganda purposes.
Sacrifice and death are constant motifs in the movie -- Äls even recounts how she had to put down her ill dog -- and Albrecht's return to his wife is a reflection of a realization of the tragic side of life.
Although Äls is a danger to the marriage, she is not presented as wholly negative, owing to her love of nature. She dies in a reversal of the source material, where the husband dies. This reflected a need to avoid temptation to adultery, when many families were separated, and Joseph Goebbels
himself insisted that it must be the woman rather than the man who paid. Nevertheless, her death is surrounded by a heavenly chorus and transcendence.
Veit Harlan
Veit Harlan was a German film director and actor.-Life and career:Harlan was born in Berlin. After studying under Max Reinhardt, he first appeared on the stage in 1915 and, after World War I, worked in the Berlin stage. In 1922 he married Jewish actress and cabaret singer Dora Gerson; the couple...
. It is based on Rudolf G. Binding
Rudolf G. Binding
Rudolf Georg Binding was a German writer.He was born in Basel, Switzerland and died in Starnberg. He studied medicine and law before joining the Hussars. On the outbreak of the First World War, Binding, who was forty-six years old, became commander of a squadron of dragoons...
's work of the same title, with alterations for propaganda purposes.
Synopsis
Albrecht Froben, though married to Oktavia, falls in love with his neighbor, Äls Flodéen. She is infected in an outbreak of typhoid. When Albrecht goes to briing her daughter to safety and is trapped by quarantine, Octavia dresses up as him and visits every day to keep her spirits up. Albrecht returns. Äls informs him of what his wife had done and dies. Albrecht is reconciled with his wife.Motifs
Nazism makes no overt appearance in the film, which appears a work of entertainment, but it includes themes frequently in Nazi propaganda.Sacrifice and death are constant motifs in the movie -- Äls even recounts how she had to put down her ill dog -- and Albrecht's return to his wife is a reflection of a realization of the tragic side of life.
Although Äls is a danger to the marriage, she is not presented as wholly negative, owing to her love of nature. She dies in a reversal of the source material, where the husband dies. This reflected a need to avoid temptation to adultery, when many families were separated, and Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
himself insisted that it must be the woman rather than the man who paid. Nevertheless, her death is surrounded by a heavenly chorus and transcendence.