Young Torless (1966)
"Der junge Törless" (original title)

At a boarding school in the pre-war Austro-Hungarian Empire, a pair of students torture one of their fellow classmates, Basini, who has been caught stealing money from one of the two. The ... See full summary »

Director:

Volker Schlöndorff

Writers:

Robert Musil (novel), Herbert Asmodi (adaptation),

Stars:

Mathieu Carrière, Marian Seidowsky, Bernd Tischer

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Mathieu Carrière	...	Thomas Törless
Marian Seidowsky	...	Anselm von Basini
Bernd Tischer	...	Beineberg
Fred Dietz	...	Reiting
Lotte Ledl	...	Gastwirtin / Innkeeper
Jean Launay	...	Mathematiklehrer / Maths Teacher
Barbara Steele	...	Bozena

Storyline

At a boarding school in the pre-war Austro-Hungarian Empire, a pair of students torture one of their fellow classmates, Basini, who has been caught stealing money from one of the two. The two decide that rather than turn Basini in to the school authorities, they will punish him themselves and proceed to torture, degrade, and humiliate the boy, with ever-increasing sadistic delight. As each day passes, the two boys are able to justify harsher treatment than previously given. Torless is a passive member of the group but observes rather than participates and frustrates the tormentors by dryly analyzing their behavior.

---

Plot Keywords:

torture | boarding school | student | money | stealing | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

West Germany France

Language:

German

Release Date:

22 July 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Young Torless

Filming Locations:

Eggenberg Palace, Graz, Styria, Austria

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franz Seitz Filmproduktion, Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First feature film directed by Volker Schlöndorff.

---

Connections

Referenced in Filmstunde: Filmstunde 1 (1991)

User Reviews

Deep Drama with thinly veiled message about Nazi Era

Set in an indefinite time and place (likely the pre-WWI Germany/Austria), at a boarding school for adolescent boys, one student is caught stealing, and subsequently blackmailed and sadistically terrorized. One of his tormentors (the title character) passively observes much of the brutality against the victim, but eventually is overcome with emotions about his part in the evils inflicted on a fellow-student. An eventual investigation into the incidents by the school board leads the authority figures to believe that this "Young Toeless" is emotionally high strung and unfit to continue his studies at the school.

Thinly veiled commentaries about young males in a society that expects total obedience and loyalty, while fanning flames of hate and urges to feel superior to others. Physical and emotional torture of a peer is shown as intoxicating and thrilling. The title character escapes this "world" by exclaiming that he now understands all about this "mystery", thus needs no longer to be involved. Once all was found out, the "meeting" among the class, where everyone "got their story straight" reminds of the post WWII investigations (culminating in the Nuremberg Trials), when one citizen would vouch for the other and vice versa, insisting all were innocent or "following orders". An emotional maturity is required for viewing this film. I would not recommend it for an audience under the age of 16. Otherwise this is a thought-provoking drama with many discussion points.