Aimee & Jaguar (1999)

In 1943 Berlin, a Nazi officer's wife meets and starts a passionate affair with a Jewish woman.

Director:

Max Färberböck

Writers:

Max Färberböck, Rona Munro

Stars:

Maria Schrader, Juliane Köhler, Johanna Wokalek

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maria Schrader	...	Felice Schragenheim (Jaguar)
Juliane Köhler	...	Lilly Wust (Aimée)
Johanna Wokalek	...	Ilse
Heike Makatsch	...	Klärchen
Elisabeth Degen	...	Lotte
Detlev Buck	...	Günther Wust
Inge Keller	...	Lilly Wust (1997)
Kyra Mladeck	...	Ilse (1997)
Sarah Camp	...	Frau Kappler
Klaus Manchen	...	Herr Kappler
Margit Bendokat	...	Frau Jäger
Jochen Stern	...	Werner Lause
Peter Weck	...	Chefredakteur Keller
Lia Dultzkaya	...	Hulda
Dani Levy	...	Fritz Borchert

Storyline

Berlin 1943/44 ("The Battle of Berlin"). Felice, an intelligent and courageous Jewish woman who lives under a false name, belongs to an underground organization. Lilly, a devoted mother of four, though an occasional unfaithful wife, is desperate for love. An unusual and passionate love between them blossoms despite the danger of persecution and nightly bombing raids.

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Plot Keywords:

lesbian mother | lesbian parent | lesbian romance | lesbianism | lesbian relationship | 

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Taglines:

A Love Larger Than Death

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Zeitgeist Films

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

11 February 1999 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Aimee & Jaguar

Filming Locations:

Hansaviertel, Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$42,919, 13 August 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$927,107, 11 March 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Senator Film Produktion, Max Farberbock Film, Bundesministerium des Inneren (BMI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Germany's entry to the Academy Awards, in the category of Best Foreign Language Film (1999).

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Quotes

Gunther Wust: I need a wife with character. Or a lawyer.

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Connections

Referenced in Unfaithful (2002)

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Soundtracks

Liebe Kleine Schaffnerin
Music by Hans Lang
Lyrics by Erich Meser
Melodie der Welt Verlag

User Reviews

So Strange It Had to Be True

The story of "Aimée & Jaguar" is so strange it has to be true. If it were fiction, it would be accused of being utterly unbelievable. But true it is.

The movie is told in flashback from the recollections of an elderly German woman who relives the events in her life during WWII. Married to a Nazi officer who is away fighting on the eastern front, she meets, is courted by, and is seduced by a brash, beautiful lesbian. But not only is this woman a lesbian (this alone could have landed her in a concentration camp), she is also a Jew and a member of the anti-Nazi German underground. And all this in 1943 as Allied bombs begin dropping on the capital of the Third Reich. Yes, this couldn't be fiction.

The movie focuses on the relationship between the two women. It's a complicated relationship, and one that is not fully explored. What motivates the young Jewish woman to pursue the German officer's wife? Isn't there enough danger in her life already? And the hausfrau, was she a closet homosexual all along? Or is her motivation boredom, or the stress of wartime? These issues are not answered satisfactorily.

Another drawback is the strange lack of tension. Any one of a dozen missteps could send them and their friends to tortuous deaths at the hands of the Gestapo. But they don't seem to be all that concerned. I'd be a blithering wreck, but they party on (often with the Nazi Party).

I think these are valid criticisms but "Aimée & Jaguar" is still an interesting, of not odd, movie. It's still worth a rental.