Der Fußgänger (1973)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Maximilian Schell

Writers:

Dagmar Hirtz (writer)
Maximilian Schell (writer)

Release Date:

6 September 1973 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Death Of Son

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins

Cast

Peggy Ashcroft	...	Lady Gray
Gertrud Bald	...	Henriette Markowitz
Elisabeth Bergner	...	Frau Lilienthal
Lil Dagover	...	Frau Eschenlohr
Käthe Haack	...	Frau von Rautenfeld
Peter Hall	...	Rudolf Hartmann
Ruth Hausmeister	...	Inge Marie Giese
Dagmar Hirtz	...	Elke Giese
Johanna Hofer	...	Frau Bergedorf
Silvia Hürlimann	...	Hilde
Christian Kohlund	...	Erwin Gotz
Walter Kohut	...	Dr. Rolf Meineke
Alexander May	...	Alexander Markowitz
Herbert Mensching	...	Reporter
Peter Moland	...	Reporter
Françoise Rosay	...	Frau Dechamps
Angela Salloker
Maximilian Schell	...	Andreas Giese
Margarete Schell Noé	...	Frau Buchmann
Norbert Schiller	...	Himself
Walter Schmidinger	...	Policeman
Franz Seitz	...	Dr. Karl Peters
Gustav Rudolf Sellner	...	Heinz Alfred Giese
Manuel Sellner	...	Hubert Giese
Sigfrit Steiner	...	Auditor
Walter Varndal	...	Dr. Kratxer
Gila von Weitershausen	...	Karin
Elsa Wagner	...	Elsa Giese
Michael Weinert	...	Michael Giese

Also Known As:

The Pedestrian (USA)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Switzerland | West Germany | Israel

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Jaffa, Israel

Company:

Alfa Film

Shades of grey

This film is about a man who committed a terrible crime during war and is now old and somehow sorry for what he did. The story about the preparations for his trial are described from different points of view, also from his.

It's interesting to experience Maximilian Schell mainly as a director. (The role he plays in the film is quite small.) Shades of grey dominate the film. It looks like made with a low budget in a studio with minimum scenery. Although the story is really interesting and the topic is controversial – shall an old, harmless man still be called to account for the crimes he committed a long time ago in war? – somehow the film doesn't keep awake. There are some surprising takes here and charming guest appearances there – there seems to be no continuity, no concept. The film seems „undirected`, uncoordinated. I guess, that's a common problem, when actors, who believe they know their way around, try and direct a movie.

The movie ends abruptly, after changing into a TV discussion. I got the impression that the film had been over for minutes and I was watching that discussion. Really weird.