Der Traum von Lieschen Müller is the story of a young woman who works at a bank. Her job is mundane, and she wishes for something better in life. One evening, she falls asleep at work, and is transported to the world of her dreams, where she has unlimited wealth and can do whatever she wants. But will she find happiness? This film is similar in structure to The Wizard of Oz: the dream sequences are in color while the "real" world is black & white, and the people she meets in her everyday life reappear in new roles in her dream world. ("Lieschen Müller" is a German slang term for an average woman. Somewhere between "Susie Homemaker" and "Jane Doe.") Der Traum von Lieschen Müller is by no means a great movie, but it is a fun movie. The color sequences are reminiscent of the work of Frank Tashlin; that is, vivid and very much a product of their times. Director Helmut Käutner has a lot of fun with this film, using nearly every film trick in the book to tell the story. The sets and costumes are properly amazing, and the song numbers, while dated and a little corny, are enjoyable nonetheless.
If you feel like taking a trip back in time to the early sixties, this is an easy way to do it.
If you feel like taking a trip back in time to the early sixties, this is an easy way to do it.