emkarpf Review of Emil und die Detektive

Emil und die Detektive (1954)

Nice Berlin views, but stretched and old-fashioned

[5/10 · 9 February 2008]

This movie follows the script of the 1931 version, but stretches it with additional scenes to 90 minutes. I wasn't happy with this movie, since it changes e.g. the whole beginning - we all know how Emil was afraid of going to the police because he had "decorated" a statue in his hometown. Now in this movie he does something completely different, and so at first I didn't even recognize which of the boys was supposed to be Emil. Then the movie adds a love story between Emil's mother and Wachtmeister Jeschke. Erich Kästner actually married them off in his second "Emil"-book, but in the novel neither Emil nor his mother are quite happy with this Vernunftehe (prudent marriage), while in the movie it's all fun and happiness. I also found the dialog somewhat forced, the villain downright stupid and the police festival completely superfluous. Still, the movie gets five points for showing off 1950s Berlin. Notably the modern apartment buildings and the ruin of the Gedächtniskirche make very good backdrops for the storyline. Note how Pony Hütchen asks for the "Interzonenzug" - how nice that we've overcome the zone-era!