L'avamposto degli Stukas

The story shows the career of a once famous german flyer nobody remembers today... After ww2, these guys, who were styled to be the pop stars of the third reich, still were quite popular. People didn´t think of them as nazis or war criminals, but as young men with a noble profession: Pilots of the german luftwaffe. The picture has a lot of air fights, a love affair and oldfashioned acting in it. If that is something you like, take a closer look at the video that is still available in germany.

A "master" discovers the things in life - German-Spanish war film with Joachim Hansen and Marianne Koch

What are we dealing with here? Is this just misrepresentation of history? Or even glorification of war? Or just stupid and naive?

It tells the story of the German pilot Jochen Marseille, who achieved some fame in the Nazi regime by shooting down other pilots numerous times during the Second World War. The attractive actor Joachim Hansen (1930-2007) portrays him as a hyperactive child who simply lands his plane on the highway to ask people for directions. As a Luftikus who constantly gets into trouble with his superiors, which his friend Robert Franke (Hansjörg Felmy) has to get him out of. In the desert camp at the time of the war, the Berlin jet man, who was so successful in shooting down other planes and causing death to other pilots, was simply a good friend to his comrades (including Horst Frank). He even treats his colored servant Mathias (Roberto Blanco), who is actually more of a slave, with warmth. This super guy with ADHD problems can't even be deterred by a wise billiards player (Erich Ponto) in Paris. And during a visit to his old school, in the presence of the director (Siegfried Schürenberg), he doesn't act like Paul Bäumer from Erich Maria REMARQUE's novel ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, as he had secretly hoped, but instead talks very well about the desert sand. The only thing missing is the autograph session...

Only the lovely Marianne Koch as the young teacher Brigitte can ignite the smart enforcer for the beautiful things in life, but by then it is already too late. So much stupidity simply shouldn't be rewarded!

The film was directed by Alfred Weidenmann and written by Herbert Reinecker. The premiere was on August 13, 1957 in Hanover. The impressive aerial photos were taken with the support of the Spanish Air Force. The exterior shots in Berlin, Munich, Rome, Seville and the Canary Islands were extremely well done. The desert scenes were filmed in Poland, on the largest sand dune in Europe.

This film was a breakthrough for the young actors Joachim Hansen, Hansjörg Felmy and Horst Frank. And it was fine like that! As a result, a new tone and a different physical play came to West German screens. Nevertheless, when you see this film you can't help but think of the film within the film "Pride of the Nation" from "Inglourious Basterds" (2009). GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Daniel Brühl in the role of Frederick Zoller as an eerie revenant of Joachim Hansen and Jochen Marseille. It's a bit scary!

I watched this film right after a screening of Käutner's "Grosse Freiheit Nr 7", which premiered in December 1944. And suddenly I realized, what it is that makes Käutner's film a true masterpiece: "Star of Africa", even though a "war" film, lacks the atmosphere of war totally. It is a superfluous, totally empty film with nothing much in it to recommend it. "Grosse Feiheit", which doesn't show a single swastika (neither does "Star of Africa" to that matter) is nevertheless shrouded heavily into that special gloomy mood, which tells us that there is a REAL war out there, a war that is soon to be lost for good; and that's what makes one film tense and bitterly sad, while the other film, though heavy with air fights, battlefield situations and actual footage (thrown quite pointlessly here and there), is reminiscent of a fifties TV show.

This film (both English dubbed and subtitled version) can be ordered from International Historic Films.

As the title suggests, there's not much to say about this film. Like you won't especially recommended to people but if you have to watch it, it's watch-able(like it's an average film).

This is only based on marseille's story, so it has some factionalized stuff (eg people's names)

Hopefully this comment helps. :/

A German production from one of the best film studios in the world. Based on a story of a young and daring Luftwafe pilot, becoming a legend from the skies of Europe. Behind a German love story, between this young pilot and a pretty school teacher. Great stories and images this film leaves us.