Comradeship (1931)

Plea against war and for friendship between peoples, through the story of French miners rescued by German colleagues after a firedamp explosion.

Director:

Georg Wilhelm Pabst

Writers:

Carl Haensel (novel), Peter Martin Lampel

Stars:

Alexander Granach, Fritz Kampers, Ernst Busch

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alexander Granach	...	Kasper
Fritz Kampers	...	Wilderer
Ernst Busch	...	Wittkopp
Elisabeth Wendt	...	Frau Anna Wittkopp
Gustav Püttjer	...	Kaplan
Oskar Höcker	...	Obersteiger
Daniel Mendaille	...	Jean Leclerc
Georges Charlia	...	Emile
Andrée Ducret	...	Françoise
Alex Bernard	...	Grand-père, le vieux mineur
Pierre-Louis	...	Georges - le petit galibot
Héléna Manson	...	Rose, la femme du mineur blessé
Marcel Lesieur	...	Albert
Willem Holsboer	...	Ingenieur des deutschen Bergwerks (as Willem Holzboer)
Georges Tourreil	...	L'ingénieur

Storyline

An old German mine was split in two after the end of WWI because of where the new border was located. In the French part a fire breaks out; the German miners send a rescue group in, helping their French comrades. Three old German miners, who were not treated friendly at a French inn the night before, start their own private rescue through an old tunnel that separated the two mines. Will the official rescue party realize there are others left behind in time to save them?

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Plot Keywords:

dirty face | international | border | rescue | explosion | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was filmed in the narrow transitional sound ratio of 1.20-1, but, at least in the case of the Janus video release telecast on Turner Classic Movies, has been converted to the standard 1.37-1 ratio with the result that the players' heads are cut off either partially or completely in many of the key scenes. In the final sequence, the heads of the speakers are completely cut off.

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Connections

Referenced in All As One: Hermann Barth on G.W. Pabst's Kameradschaft (2018)

User Reviews

Technically superb

The special effects are top notch, very superior to the Hollywood standards of its time (just compare this film to "San Francisco", made five years later). Most reviewers write about how realistic this film is, but the mine interior was entirely recreated in studio. And it looks like a real claustrophobic coal mine. Amazing! Technically it is superb. About the story and the message a lot has been said, so no need to repeat how good and necessary this film was. I saw it with the epilogue sequence included. Sad end, but it is realistic in this point too. Good intentions meet the old dark forces. Just read Oscar Wilde's "The young king". Its end is even more pessimistic. At least, Pabst opens a door to fight and hope. The closed frontier is only an advice: beware! the fight won't be easy.

Details

Country:

Germany France

Language:

French German

Release Date:

17 November 1931 (Germany)

Also Known As:

A Tragédia da Mina

Filming Locations:

Bethune, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nero-Film AG, Gaumont-Franco Film-Aubert (G.F.F.A)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 86 min (Janus print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1