Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken (2004)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Achim von Borries

Writers:

Hendrik Handloegten (writer)
Annette Hess (writer)

Release Date:

16 April 2004 (Austria)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A posthumous look at the last days of Guenther's life as he, his best friend, and his sister let loose on a four-day binge of alcohol, drugs, and sex.

Plot Keywords:

Best Friend | Weimar Germany | Despair | Suicide Pact | Gay Interest

Awards:

6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Daniel Brühl	...	Paul Krantz
August Diehl	...	Günther Scheller
Anna Maria Mühe	...	Hilde Scheller
Jana Pallaske	...	Elli
Thure Lindhardt	...	Hans
Verena Bukal	...	Rosa
Julia Dietze	...	Lotte
Buddy Elias	...	Dr. Frey
Luc Feit	...	Zipfer
Marius Frey	...	Bittner
Holger Handtke	...	Wieland
Jonas Jägermeyr	...	Pit
Roman Kaminski	...	Vorsitzender bei Gericht
Christoph Luser	...	Macke
Tino Mewes	...	Django

Also Known As:

Love in Thoughts (International: English title) (USA)
Liebe in Gedanken (Germany) (working title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Japan:R-15 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA | Argentina:18 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | France:U | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich)

Filming Locations:

Brandenburg, Germany

Company:

X-Filme Creative Pool

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The film is set in 1927, the song "Mir ist so nach dir" which was played in the film was 1930 released.

Quotes:

Paul: Love is the only reason for which we are willing to die. Love is the only reason for which we would be willing to kill. Therefore, we swear to end our lives once we no longer feel any love. And we will take all those along who robbed us of our love.

Soundtrack:

For Now

A German tragedy in the era of Leopold and Loeb

Paul (played by Daniel Brühl) and Günther (played by August Diehl) are school chums and best friends in 1927 Weimar Germany. Günther is gay and Paul is straight but has never slept with a woman. The two boys know each other's story and yet remain good friends.

Günther has invited Paul to his family's house outside Berlin and Paul has accepted, hoping to see Günther's sister Hilde again. Paul has met Hilde once before and she's made quite an impression on him. Hilde is a free spirit who believes that it's OK for a woman to have several lovers at once but she's never looked at Paul that way. She is much more fascinated with Hans a boy from a much lower class who works in the kitchen of a restaurant/dance club that she and Günther frequent. Problem is Günther is also in love with Hans.

Add to this somewhat incestuous, somewhat quadrangular love arrangement, the Leopold and Loeb philosophy of the day, throw in a weekend party of heavy drinking and absinthe use, top the whole thing off with a pistol that Günther has become fascinated with and you have a recipe for disaster.

The movie opens with Paul being interrogated after two of the party goers end up dead, so you know that this isn't going to be a happy story from the very start but watching these attractive young people as they meander through the events that lead up to this tragedy is fascinating.

This movie unfolds slowly and will not be to everyone's taste but there are images and moments that will linger with the patient viewer long after seeing the film. I especially like the way that Günther's homosexuality played a part in the story but didn't dominate it.. It was just one aspect of the overall course of events and was treated as just another fact of these people's lives.