The Nasty Girl (1990)
"Das schreckliche Mädchen" (original title)

When a young woman investigates her town's Nazi past, the community turns against her.

Director:

Michael Verhoeven

Writer:

Michael Verhoeven

Stars:

Lena Stolze, Hans-Reinhard Müller, Monika Baumgartner

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lena Stolze	...	Sonja
Hans-Reinhard Müller	...	Juckenack
Monika Baumgartner	...	Sonja's mother
Elisabeth Bertram	...	Sonja's grandma
Michael Gahr	...	Paul Rosenberger
Robert Giggenbach	...	Martin
Fred Stillkrauth	...	Sonja's uncle
Barbara Gallauner	...	Miss Juckenack
Udo Thomer	...	Archivist Schulz
Ludwig Wühr	...	Owner of the Swingboat
Christof Wackernagel	...	Zöpfel
Richard Süßmeier	...	The Mayor
Sandra White	...	Iris
Rudolf Klaffenböck	...	The judge
Karin Thaler	...	Nina

Storyline

Sonya is a German high school student who decides to write an essay about her town's history during the Third Reich and its resistance to it. To her dismay, and more so the town's, she uncovers instead definite collaboration during the period. As she digs deeper, she must struggle against the town's vocal and violent opposition to her search for the truth.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | bra less | historical revisionism | film with ambiguous title | firebomb | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

March 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Nasty Girl

Filming Locations:

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Gross:

$2,281,569 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmverlag der Autoren, Sentana Filmproduktion, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Local Doctor: If I'd known you'd be famous, I'd have preserved your appendix in alcohol.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Rocky V/Child's Play 2/Home Alone/The Nasty Girl (1990)

User Reviews

Enjoyed the very different approach to tough topic

At points this film feels almost comic, but never loses its focus on the important topic of Germans either coming to grips with the past or covering it up. Some modernist filming techniques seem to remind the viewer that the film is very much set in the time of its production (1990, though the story begins in the 1970s) rather than in the distant, black-and-white days of the past that is its most important subject. It's like Verhoeven is saying "the cover-up is NOW."

It is my understanding that the story is based on the experiences of an actual German woman. That being the case, Verhoeven could have written a serious biographical film about this woman's experiences as she struggled to investigate the truth of her town's activities during the Nazi regime. This was the method used in his portrayal of the Scholl siblings in Die Weisse Rose. But I can see reasons for his different approach with this film. The topic of Die Weisse Rose is so heavy for obvious reasons, and there is very little modern controversy over considering them heroes. But as the topic of Das schreckliche Maedchen remains controversial and, for many Germans, difficult to discuss, the somewhat light-hearted approach that Verhoeven takes may open doors for more viewers and more discussion. And again I repeat that the approach does not diminish the topic's importance. He strikes a nice balance.

On another note, this film is also a very good portrayal about a modern woman's struggle to be independent in her work while having a large family. I'm not surprised to see that the positive voting here at IMDB is most prevalent among women in their twenties and thirties.