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Signs of Life (1968)
Lebenszeichen (original title)

91 min  -  Drama  -   December 1981 (USA)
7.3
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Ratings: 7.3/10 from 840 users  
Reviews: 10 user | 27 critic

On Crete, a wounded German paratrooper named Stroszek is sent to the quiet city of Kos with his wife Nora... See full summary »

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

Werner Herzog, Achim von Arnim (story)

Stars:

Peter Brogle, Wolfgang Reichmann and Athina Zacharopoulou
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Cast

Credited cast:
Peter Brogle Peter Brogle ...
Stroszek
Wolfgang Reichmann Wolfgang Reichmann ...
Meinhard
Athina Zacharopoulou Athina Zacharopoulou ...
Nora
Wolfgang von Ungern-Sternberg Wolfgang von Ungern-Sternberg ...
Becker
Wolfgang Stumpf Wolfgang Stumpf ...
Captain
Henry van Lyck Henry van Lyck ...
Lieutenant
Julio Pinheiro Julio Pinheiro ...
Gypsy
Florian Fricke Florian Fricke ...
Pianist
Heinz Usener Heinz Usener ...
Doctor
Achmed Hafiz Achmed Hafiz ...
Greek resident
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jannakis Frasakis Jannakis Frasakis
Eleni Katerinaki Eleni Katerinaki
Full cast and crew »
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Storyline

On Crete, a wounded German paratrooper named Stroszek is sent to the quiet city of Kos with his wife Nora, a Greek nurse, and two other soldiers recovering from minor wounds. Billeted in a decaying fortress, they guard a munitions depot. There's little to do: Becker, a classicist, translates inscriptions on ancient tablets found in the fortress, Meinhart devises traps for cockroaches, Nora helps Stroszek make fireworks using gunpowder from grenades in the depot. Slowly, in the heat and torpor, Stroszek goes mad, drives the others from the fortress, and threatens the city with blowing up the depot. With care, the German command must figure out how to get him down. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Fortress | Paratrooper | 1940s | Insanity | Nazi Occupied Greece  | See more »

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German | Greek

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Señales de vida See more »

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 25,000 (estimated)
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Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

USA:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The screenplay is based on a story by (Ludwig) Achim von Arnim, which he wrote in 1818 and is called "Der tolle Invalide auf dem Fort Ratonneau" (The Mad Invalid at Fort Rattoneau). Until 1997 it was the only story written by Arnim that was previously translated into English. See more »

Connections

Featured in I Am My Films - A Portrait of Werner Herzog (1979) See more »