Der plötzliche Reichtum der armen Leute von Kombach (1971) (TV)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Volker Schlöndorff

Writers:

Volker Schlöndorff (writer)
Margarethe von Trotta (writer)

Release Date:

26 January 1971 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Place Name In Title

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Georg Lehn	...	Hans Jacob Geiz
Reinhard Hauff	...	Heinrich Geiz
Karl-Josef Cramer	...	Jacob Geiz
Wolfgang Bächler	...	David Briel
Harald Müller	...	Johann Soldan
Margarethe von Trotta	...	Sophie
Joe Hembus	...	Schreiber
Walter Buschhoff	...	Pfarrer
Maria Donnerstag	...	Frau Geiz
Angelika Hillebrecht	...	Johanna Soldan
Harry Owen	...	Ludwig Acker
Wilhelm Grasshoff	...	Richter Danz
Eva Pampuch	...	Gänseliesel
Rainer Werner Fassbinder	...	Bauer
Karl-Heinz Merz	...	Landschütz Volk

Also Known As:

The Sudden Wealth of the Poor People of Kombach

Runtime:

Germany:102 min | USA:94 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12

Company:

Hallelujah Film

A satire of the German "Homeland" film, and an allegory of false freedom that recalls Gogol

An early work from the filmmaker behind THE TIN DRUM with an intriguing Hans Christian Anderson-style fairy tale aesthetic and voice over narration. SUDDEN WEALTH is a despairing chronicle of a group of starving peasants who finally seize governmental wealth like a dysfunctional group of Robin Hood's Merry Men, only to be betrayed by their inescapable selves and systematically dehumanized (think bucolic Orwell) and reprogrammed by what we'll put under the rubric of God and Country. Extremely striking compositions at times. Only one man (who bears a passing resemblance to a young John Cleese, incidentally) refuses to go gentle into that good night. The last scene is reminiscent of the endings in both Kubrick's PATHS OF GLORY and THE CRUCIBLE with Day-Lewis, yet all even more chilling with its alienating suddenly reappearing voice-over. SUDDEN WEALTH benefits from an especially strong second half with fuller characterization that makes it come alive as a whole for Schlondorff, whose film's evinces extremely striking compositions at times with stationary camera. Especially recommended for those interested in the New German Cinema.