Die Nacht der Nächte

An astonishingly well-made comedy in a genre that is clearly dominated by Hollywood, an escape from a routine life into an adventure that takes the character to her limits, but ultimately also back to life. Senta Berger plays with great conviction a wife and mother on the verge of old age who is taken for granted by her family, not loved and growing old. On her 50th birthday, she flees from a party forced upon her into Vienna at night and begins a journey into the underworld, from which she only emerges with great effort and skill.

In addition to the very successful production, the strong star line-up for a television production is particularly striking; well-known and up-and-coming Austrian actors, even in the smallest roles, add to the appeal. Also unusual is the really fast-paced car chase, which is also a trademark of U. S. cinema. The whole story is of course somewhat reminiscent of "Into the Night" and "Eyes Wide Shut", but in this case the pace and humor prevail.