cynthiahost Review of Under the Bridges

Under the Bridges (1946)

one of the last films made under the third Reich

[10/10 · 21 August 2010]

This is one of Helmet Kautner's best films.His last before the war ended.He has Carl Raddatz as playing a captain of a ship barge, in the same style that Hans Alber looked in Grosse Frieheit N. O. 7 including accordion.Gustav Knute,express with an l in German, is his assistant. Everything is happy go lucky in their business. They look at people on the bridge when they go under, until one day they meet a girl,played by Hannalore Schroth ,at night. They notice above the bridge she drops money into the water. They both stick the paddle out of the ship barge to pick the money up,wondering why she drop the money.As if she was going to commit suicide. They go up to her she tell them only that she about to go home but she missed the last bus. They offer her a ride . This is when the conflict between the two friends begin as they both become interested in her.As they reach Berlin the friends friction increased and they slowly start to fight each other for the girl.The war was still going on and Kautner were shooting this film a a location where there were no bombings,The last day she decides to cook a meal for them but the end up arguing about her . She leaves immediately.Carl later finds out where she lives. This is when they both really fall in love as she soaks his soar finger . But Knute shows up and spoils everything and Carl leaves. Later they both have a fight and Gustav leaves the ship and gets a job as a crane operator.Later both Gustave and the girl show up near the river to wait for Carl to show up . He never does. Later as Gustave is boat paddling her on the river. She finally reveals the secret of why she dropped the money in the river. Her ex boy friend was an artist and had hired her as a nude model for his painting. She was hoping he would fall for her but he was only interested in her as a model subject. When he an she is back near her apartment. She noticed that the light's on . She quickly runs to her apartment and it's him . He's back. Carl and Gustave later reconcile . They are all back at the ship barge together again. The location shots were at some parts of Berlin. Character actress of Germany Margete Haagen shows up as the landlady.HildegargKneff makes her early film appearance earlier in he picture. This film is worth a collection. If T.C.M wasn't greedy they could premiere this at their import show on Sundays but they are biased.