Le volcan

This well-acted, well-made and artfully restrained film not only takes us quietly and deftly into an underground and highly believable world of pre-war Nazi Europe, but through a memorable group of inter-related individuals from almost all sides, (steadily taking us further and further into their sensibilities and situations and tensions of the quite credible and 'rich' world of their arts in this 30s period), without force we come away with a tangible sense of the everyday milieu of many people at the time, right across Europe - - but without notable fanfare, brutal war images, and so on, but rather showing an almost ordinary week or so during an extraordinary time. Worth watching, and then worth watching again!

A group of artistic people whose comfortable lives have been torn to shreds by the Nazi regime gather in Zurich to escape the dreaded Gestapo. They yearn for the old Germany before Hitler dictated a new way of life. The Jewish families are particularly at risk.

There is nothing new in this film. We have seen it all before. The biographical film of German author Thomas Mann and his family is almost identical in the events recorded. A group of people always on the move around Europe. Drugs and suicide as a means of escape play a role in both films.

"Der Vulkan" has little visual action. A clear picture of the new Germany is conjured up in the many conversations. As the champagne corks fly. tongues are loosened and a lively debate about the future for Germany gathers pace. From time to time police appear suddenly to check passports and someone is carried off. Life is not easy...it's like living on a volcano and the future looks bleak. There may be no tomorrow, so fill the glasses once more!

Among the artists is a singer from the von Kammer family. At least with her rousing songs she brings some relief to the interminable conversations and arguments. But her songs are filled with sorrow and disgust, hatred and cynicism for what Germany has become. She remembers the theatre in Berlin where she once sang in happier times. It is no more. It was burnt down. The frustration of the characters is well portrayed as they wonder about the existence of friends and family they left behind in Berlin.

This is not an explosive film, not really great. If we need to be reminded at all, it tells us once again how the lives of so many people were changed forever...people who lost their homeland, who were forced into exile and who became refugees. These are the people this film remembers.

The crimes of the naziregime are probably one of the greatest treasures directors can find to make a movie from. And of course that's only normal as the greatest crime in human history always can shock people. But the film from this German independent director, Ottokar Runze, is different as the danger from nazi Germany is shown with words and atmospheres (you never see SS-officers with uniforms for instance). This is the story about a German elite (painters, playwriters, novelists) who were brave enough to comment the regime but they soon found out that their country no longer wants to them and so most of them escape to other countries. And that's the sole thing that is left for Marion Von Kammer (a role played by Nina Hoss). She decides to go to some friends in Switzerland but once she's there she witnesses that her old friends are only in favour of Hitler (this was of course before the time most of Hitlers crimes were known). She decides to go to Paris at where some of her artfriends have set up an antifascistic radiostation but once she's there she must see that the antifacist movement is only a matter for the arte-elite. She soon is a part from some artistic soulmates who live in a rather decadent way (drugs, homosexual love). "Der Vulkan" is like some Schlinders List for the arty people, there is a lot of poetry in the movie, too many musical interludes (Nina Hoss' performances are good but all by all they are about 20 minutes from the whole movie) and it's a bit too cold directed, so cold that the viewer never feels any affection with any of the actors but still worth seeing though.

Since it's long ago , it is hard to make a good informed critic about this film. Its more about my memories...

I was impressed , the camera , the director , also as person , his daughter , picture editing , as far i remember , nina hoss , impressive actress and voice , singing , also ben becker , better as in most other movies , i know, a bit old fashioned, was my impression at this time , the movie , a to "soft" , maybe much to sentimental , regarding the historic "truth" , described , as most movies are a"description" , but it was very good , old school , movie , very good acting actors , and since it was obviously , in regards of the age and other circumstances of the director , a very gentle , cultivated person , as far i rember , an important work also for him ...