A Love in Germany (1983)
"Eine Liebe in Deutschland" (original title)

In May of 1983, a man turns 49 and, with his 17-year old son, journeys to the village in Baden that he left 40 years before. He wants to discover what happened then, the truth about an ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrzej Wajda

Writers:

Boleslaw Michalek (scenario), Agnieszka Holland (scenario),

Stars:

Hanna Schygulla, Piotr Lysak, Armin Mueller-Stahl

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hanna Schygulla	...	Paulina Kropp
Piotr Lysak	...	Stanislaus
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Mayer
Ralf Wolter	...	Schulze
Daniel Olbrychski	...	Wiktorczyk
Bernhard Wicki	...	Dr. Borg
Gérard Desarthe	...	Karl Wyler
Elisabeth Trissenaar	...	Elsbeth Schnittgens
Sigfrit Steiner	...	Melchior
Erika Wackernagel	...	Frau Melchior
Serge Merlin	...	Alker
Thomas Ringelmann	...	Herbert
Friedrich G. Beckhaus	...	Zinngruber the Mayor
Otto Sander	...	The narrator
Ben Becker	...	Klaus

Storyline

In May of 1983, a man turns 49 and, with his 17-year old son, journeys to the village in Baden that he left 40 years before. He wants to discover what happened then, the truth about an affair his mother had with a young Polish prisoner of war, how the authorities came to learn of it, the lovers' arrest, and the aftermath. While his son takes Polaroid photographs, he retraces the steps of his childhood and interviews those who should remember. The story is disclosed in flashbacks that focus on the lovers (Paulina and Stanislaus), on a jealous and conniving neighbor, and on Mayer, the local SS commander who wants to find a way out of inevitable consequences.

---

Plot Keywords:

based on novel

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France West Germany

Language:

German Polish

Release Date:

2 November 1983 (France)

Also Known As:

A Love in Germany

Filming Locations:

CCC-Studios, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont, Stand'art, TF1 Films Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

User Reviews

historical 1940 and modern 1980 germany juxtaposing drama

A delicate movie, uses sudden time shifts between the contemporary 1980's and historical 1940's to track the life and death of a polish POW in germany who had an affair with a german woman. Moving scenes in which a building is framed in the 1940's context and then, all of a sudden, you see people wearing 1980's clothing, to indicate the time shift to when the grandchildren of the POW are researching his life. Such time shifts in telling a story is a trademark of Wajda, the director, as he uses them brilliantly in "Man of Marble".