Die große Versuchung

'Die Grosse Versuchung' became a box-office howitzer because of the immediate popularity of Dieter Borsche and Ruth Leuwerik had triggered of in the surprise hit 'Vater braucht eine Frau' some month earlier. Topping all popularity polls as 1953 dawned, they matched the box-office magnetism of Germany's established Dream Lovers Maria Schell and O.W. Fischer.

The film itself was far from a classic. You either resisted the romantic melodrama of the not-too-exciting story, in which case you wasted your time and money, or you sat back and let it lush extravagance wash over you. The whole production was filmed with comparable style and magnificence and even if you were aware of being manipulated by scenario contrivances, you sat goggled-eyed, wondering what would happen next to lovely Ruth Leuwerik, who looked a treat in tailor-made costumes.

The title translates into "the great temptation", but do not be tempted to watch this ridiculous doctor's drama. It is about a student of medicine who practises as surgeon. While at first it is already not clear why he does this at all (Dieter Borsche has such an innocent face), later it is not clear why his conscience bothers him. Could it be that Borsche was starting to be aware of the silliness of the drama out of which the only way to get out was to give himself up? If so why did not he report the writer and the director as well for bad taste? Did I ever see so much honour on celluloid?

Not only for content the film is unbearable, it is poorly written and directed too. The problems in the other sanatorium are never solved; we only hear Paul Bildt saying that he has been going through the same procedure (court trial). The story moves from A to B to C and back again, without any structure. An extremely bad scene is the scene in which during a party doctor Borsche first has trouble with his conscience (was it the liquour perhaps?); this should have been the dramatic turn, but it is badly directed and edited as if the editor was doing open heart surgery.

My conscience was bothering me for having to endure this film against which no anaesthesia will help.