Gripsholm (2000)

Director:

Xavier Koller

Writers:

Stefan Kolditz (writer)
Kurt Tucholsky (novel)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

The summerly adventures of Kurt (Tucholsky) and girl friend staying in a Swedish castle whilst the political changes in Germany in the thirties.

Plot Keywords:

Cabaret | 1930s | Castle | Writing | Jewish

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Ulrich Noethen	...	Kurt
Heike Makatsch	...	Prinzessin
Jasmin Tabatabai	...	Billie
Marcus Thomas	...	Karlchen
Rudolf Wessely	...	Chefredakteur / Verleger
Horst Krause	...	Generalkonsul
Leif Liljeroth	...	Baron Valberg
Inger Nilsson	...	Frau Andersson
Anette Felber	...	Frau Adriani
Sara Föttinger	...	Ada
Katharina Blaschke	...	Hagere Nichte
Gerlinde Klug	...	Stumme Nichte
Giora Seeliger	...	Kollege
Lena Reichmuth	...	Kollegin (as Bernarda Reichmuth)
Christiane Brammer	...	Aushilfe

Also Known As:

Schloß Gripsholm (Germany) (working title)

Runtime:

Germany:100 min | Hong Kong:102 min

Country:

Germany | Switzerland | Austria

Language:

Swedish | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Denmark

Company:

Catpics Coproductions

Trivia:

For this movie Jasmin Tabatabai sang in German for the first time.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Some of the bathing scenes show a lake surrounded by high, rocky mountains. In fact, Gripsholm castle is situated outside Stockholm where the country is flat with only some small hills; the nearest rocky mountains can be found more than 200 miles away from Gripsholm.

A last couple of happy days in sombre times

The film goes beyond Tucholsky's light autobiographic Novel by picturing the process of Nazi takeover and its effect on the intellectual and artist community. Writer and journalist Kurt Tucholsky is trying to evade the growing political and legal pressure aimed against his pacifist activism by taking some vacation together with his girlfriend Lydia. Together they spend some happy days in Gripsholm Castle, Sweden. Although a visit by his old pal Karl who has turned into a Nazi admirer temporarily reminds him of the unpleasant changes that take place back home, he finds distraction in comfy country life, in caring for an unfortunate runaway child and erotic adventures together with Lydia and Billie, a Berlin variété singer. Ultimately his attempt to evade reality lead into exile and isolation. Although quite conventional and ultimately predictable in its making, the film succeeds in depicting the dilemma of German intellectuals in exile. A beautiful soundtrack and excellent acting are additional assets.