It was one of the great literary successes of the German post-war literature: “English hour” has been translated into 20 languages, and now comes to the cinema. Director Schwochow is the actuality of the substance is convinced.
Günter Grass, Heinrich Böll, Martin Walser and Siegfried Lenz: this literary Quartet coined decades the image of the German post-war literature. Grass with his “tin drum”, Böll, with his novels about contemporary German history, Martin Walser, as a chronicler of the late Federal Republic of Germany, and Siegfried Lenz with the 1968 novel “the German lesson”. Even as a Non-literature interested had been heard of these authors and their books at some point before.
“English hour” was after its appearance in 1968 a best-seller
Also, because the effect of these four writers abroad was enormous. Böll and Grass, the Nobel prize for literature was awarded. The books of the four writers have been translated to languages all over the world, the Quartet have long been representative of the “German literature after 1945”. The novel “the German lesson” was developed after its first publication, a best-seller at home and abroad. The book has been read by millions of students in the classroom, 20 Translations in other languages followed.
Siegfried Lenz in 1973
As a Film The tin drum” in 1980, took “an Oscar, also the books böll’s and Walser’s were often adapted for cinema and television. Three years after the appearance of the “English hour” was created in 1971, is also a highly acclaimed film adaptation for German television. But it is only now, half a century after the publication of the novel, comes out to be a great movie according to the Lenz fabric.
“English hour” starts symbolic of the day of German unity in the cinemas
World premiere celebrates the “English hour” at the Filmfest in Hamburg, 28.09. Subsequently, the Zurich film festival shows him before the movie from Director Christian Schwochow will not happen on 3. October, the day of German unity, comes out in theaters. The novel “the German lesson” you may count confidently to the Canon of German post-war culture, the Film has to prove itself now, still, with audiences and critics.
The young Siggi Jepsen (Levi iron sheets) in the midst of a world of Chaos and death
Director Christian Schwochow has filmed the book, right to work faithfully, but also have their own accents. It goes in the books as a movie – the story of Siggi Jepsen, is forced in the first years after the end of the Second world war, in a prison, to write an essay. The theme: “The joys of duty”. This is the frame story. The actual film’s narrative depicts the memories of the young people.
A child must choose: between a father obedience, and love of Freedom
As a child, Siggi grows in the extreme North of Germany, in the early 1940s and are marked by war and economic hardship. Even if in the small village of the Second world war, mostly far away from the young Siggi but into a certain conflict between two opposing worldviews. On the one hand, Siggi’s father, the dutiful village policeman Jens Ole Jepsen, on the other hand, whose long-time friend, the painter Max Ludwig Nansen (our photo above: Ulrich Noethen as a father, Tobias Moretti as a painter).
Max Ludwig Nansen (Tobias Moretti) is not allowed to paint anymore
The conflict comes, as the police officer receives the mission to spy on the painter, apply the images but in the case of the national socialists as “degenerate” – as an art, not a national socialist Ideal is used. Jens Ole Jepsen is trying to his son who is staying at the free spirit noses, to use for his goals. Siggi device in a moral conflict: Should he listen to his father? Or rather his feelings to pursue, the sympathy and friendship for the artist?
In 1968, the novel was also an expression of the time
This is the core of the story, told Siegfried Lenz the end of the 1960s, and has now taken over Director Christian Schwochow for his movie. The novel appeared in the epoch-making year 1968, as daughters and sons confronted their fathers (and sometimes mothers) with the events during the Nazi era, the student movement asked the older Generation to individual and national responsibility and guilt.
Max Ludwig Nansen Jepsen told his young friend, Siggi, what freedom means
This is also why Lenz’ novel in 1968, has been a success, he was one of the first, had treated the subject in an easily readable Form for a wide audience. For a Christian Schwochow of the novel, but it also involves a lot of actual explosive, he now wants to bring his film to the audience: “Our society has already accepted that there is again discrimination and racist ideas,” the Director says: “anti-Semitism, exclusion and deferral of gain some salon ability.” In the German society of anti-take “of democratic Thinking and Feel”, is Schwochow convinced.
Schwochow: “‘English hour’ as a universal history”
For the still-young (Born in 1978), but already very experienced Director, it was also important that the Film and the story being told something exemplary broadcast: “is The Situation also in the case of Lenz aware of the naturalistic” files Schwochow, the fable: “‘the German lesson’ is track of a universal parable that weighs upon us in safety, a completed story.” He got together with his mother, the screenwriter Heide Schwochow, is trying “to strengthen the walkthrough to get to this story in the present.”
Max Ludwig Nansen, is arrested and says goodbye to his wife (Johanna Wokalek)
Only one didn’t want Christian Schwochow. The novel shown, the artist Max Ludwig Nansen was based on the famous German painter Emil Nolde. Nolde’s pictures were the national socialists as “degenerate”, he had a ban from profession. Nolde, however, was also, that came out only years after the end of the war and has just been discussed a lot lately, also an anti-Semite, and anything other than a Democrat.
This story did not want to tell Schwochow and so he has freed the painter in his Film of any allusions to Nolde, “It is for me in the ‘German hour’ not to Nolde. I was interested in the universal story and the great archaic conflict between these two pleasures and the boy in the middle.”