IT LOOKS ALLRIGHT, BUT IT IS NOT
The sets are wonderful, the costumes are great, the colours (AGFA) are sublime, the symphony orchestra conducted by Otto Dobrindt is splendid as are the singing voices, the faithful adaptation of Die Fledermaus into 80 minutes is well-done, it is fast paced, ballets are fine etc. etc. Well, that seems all right then; but it is not.
The film is very stiff, it never has real "Schwung", it is never elegant. It seems that director played on safe in staging and shooting and did not want to take any risk in giving it a more personal style. Also most members of the cast, especially the male ones, are too stiff; the ladies are certainly not attractive.
Josef Egger (as Frosch the prison warder) splendidly plays this role in this DEFA film, a repeat of the same role he had in Die Fledermaus (1946; q.v.), one of the last films made in Nazi Germany; the irony of (film) history.
The film is very stiff, it never has real "Schwung", it is never elegant. It seems that director played on safe in staging and shooting and did not want to take any risk in giving it a more personal style. Also most members of the cast, especially the male ones, are too stiff; the ladies are certainly not attractive.
Josef Egger (as Frosch the prison warder) splendidly plays this role in this DEFA film, a repeat of the same role he had in Die Fledermaus (1946; q.v.), one of the last films made in Nazi Germany; the irony of (film) history.
- J. Steed
- May 17, 1999