Tausend Augen

After 10 years as a film critic or movie reviewer, H.C. Blumenberg decided he wanted to direct a movie himself. Since producers and actors considered him a natural enemy, it seemed a difficult enterprise. However, Blumenberg was very, very careful not to make any obvious mistakes, worried he might make himself easy prey for his ex-colleagues at the papers. He hired a master of photography, all the actors down to the smallest parts were chosen well. `Tausend Augen' was a long time in the making, and this is why this movie is closer to perfection than any of Blumenberg's following movies or TV works.

`Tausend Augen' has a lot of quotes from film classics that inspired Blumenberg, my favorite being the homage to Fritz Lang's `M' with Trio drummer Peter Behrens who bears an amazing resemblance to Peter Lorre. The funniest scene is probably the thief in the video store (guest appearance by Wim Wenders, the famous director!) who explains "Some movies are so good, you have to save them from ending up here".

Although the plot may sound a bit cheap (lonely blonde wants to get away from the big city, needs money, but doesn't want to prostitute herself), the film has so much tact and sensitivity – it provides a stark contrast to exploitation cinema, but without being too intellectual or complex. Its lasting achievement was to make actress Barbara Rudnik a star, and she still is regularly on TV almost 20 years later.