Fridericus

Walter von Molo's biography of Frederick the Great was much admired by the Nazis but the author himself was subject to intense harassment for his liberal beliefs. The film under review was adapted by him and directed by Johannes Meyer in 1937. Otto Gebuhr plays Frederick for the fifteenth time and was to play him once more in 'Der Grosse Koenig' in 1942. Veit Harlan's film had a far bigger budget, greater resources and epic sweep than that of Meyer. Things had changed dramatically for Germany during those years with defeat looking more and more likely so Harlan's film was of necessity far more propogandist. Meyer's film therefore can be appreciated purely as a film. In this the most memorable scenes are not those of battle but of the individual. We have Lucie Hoeflich as a mother pleading for the life of her son; the tender farewell between Frederick and his beloved sister Wilhelmine played by Hilde Korber who ironically was married at the time to Harlan and the scene where Frederick is told of his sister's death. The scenes between Frederick and the excellent Bernhard Minetti as von Wallis are superb and there are effective cameos by Lil Dagover as Madame de Pompadour, Kathe Haak as Maria Theresa and Agnes Strauss as the Czarina. Cinematography is by the great Bruno Mondi who also shot the later film and there is a splendid score by Marc Roland. This excellent film takes a while to get going but gets better and better and is especially memorable for its well-drawn characterisations and for reflecting von Molo's humanity.

Director Johannes Meyer and writer Walter von Molo draw a portrait of Frederick II that is equally ahistorical and kitschy. The film shows an episode from the Seven Years War (1756-63) where the Prussian army is at the end of its tether. But of course, King Frederick (Otto Gebühr) saves the day: He finds a way out of the encirclement by the Austrians, and he has the guts to send his 'Kerls' into one last desperate battle that they win. Frederick is not only a military genius but is simply overflowing with love: He loves his sister 'Mine' (Hilde Körber), he loves his peasants, and he also loves his soldiers (his 'children', as he calls them at one point). That is about as far removed from the actual person (the bitter, misanthropic cynic who Frederick II had become by the end of the 1750s) as can be imagined. Acting is good. Gebühr looks the part and does what can be done withe the material given him. Bernhard Minetti (as count Wallis) is impressive. The plot is clunky and unevenly paced. Sets and costumes are fine, and there are even some open air shots. One scene surprised me: Having visited a village that the enemy has looted and burned down, the king orders a lieutenant to take a platoon of soldiers and retaliate by looting the manor house of an Austrian sympathiser. The lieutenant refuses to obey this order, telling the king that he enlisted as a Prussian soldier and not as a murdering marauder. Frederick immediately makes him a captain. I wonder how this bit - evidence of von Molo's liberal leanings - got past the censors: The Wehrmacht did not normally encourage independent thinking and would of course go on to commit far worse atrocities than those shown in 'Fridericus'. In any case, the scene is one of the few redeeming features of what otherwise is a pretty mediocre picture.

'Fridericus' is one of several German films recounting the military career of Prussia's king Friedrich the Second. An earlier version, the silent film 'Fridericus Rex' (made before Hitler's rise to power), has little to recommend it beyond a good performance by Werner Krauss in a supporting role. 'Fridericus' was made barely a year after 'Der Alte und der Junge König', another biography of Friedrich. The best and most elaborate of these biopics is 'Der Grosse Konig', made in 1942. 'Fridericus' stars Otto Gebuhr in the title role: the same actor who portrayed Friedrich in 'Der Grosse Konig' (The Great King).

'Fridericus' is a less effective film than 'The Great King' (basically a remake), but a comparison of the two films is interesting. 'Fridericus' was made in 1936, when Hitler was firmly in power but the Second World War had not started yet. 'The Great King' was made in 1942, when Hitler's biggest victories were past and it was likely that the Third Reich would lose the war. This explains why 'The Great King' places greater emphasis on Friedrich's military struggle against superior forces and overwhelming odds.

There's nothing in 'Fridericus' that isn't done better in 'The Great King', including Otto Gebuhr's performance in the title role. The best thing in 'Fridericus' is a brief performance by beautiful dark-eyed Lil Dagover as Madame Pompadour. I'll rate this movie 2 points out of 10.

I think the former reviewer is much too hard on this film. To say that the second film "The Great King" does everything better is a statement that I just can't agree with.

The actor playing Frederick is 'worth the price of admission'. Excellent job in both films. There is a big difference in the outlook of the two films. The former is much more optimistic while the latter was forced to be re-edited under Goebell's and Hitler's direction. Why? The second film showed the Russians of the time in too good a light. Hitler made sure that was changed, especially in 1942. But that is the second film. This one has some very good scenes with Frederick. What comes to mind is the one where he meets the farmers in the field or comes across a small village destroyed by the Austrians.