Elective Affinities (German: Die Wahlverwandtschaften) is a 1974 East German drama film directed by Siegfried Kühn. It follows the dynamics which follow when a couple invite two other people. The film is based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1809 novel Elective Affinities. It was released by the DEFA film studio on 27 August 1974.[1]
Cast
- Beata Tyszkiewicz as Charlotte
- Hilmar Thate as Eduard
- Magda Vasary as Ottilie
- Gerry Wolff as the Captain
- Horst Schulze as Mittler
- Christine Schorn as Baroness
- Volkmar Kleinert as Count
- Jana Plichtová as Luciane
- Nico Turoff as gardener
- Jost Braun as architect
Reception
The journal Film-Dienst wrote: "In the historical scenography and in the dialogue, the film misses the issues of the original work; shortenings and tightenings occasionally make the developments incomprehensible. What in Goethe is presented as a clash of moral and natural laws, appears in the film as a questioning of norms, moral and ethics of civil marriage. For literature fans still a remarkable contribution."[2]
References
- ^ "Die Wahlverwandtschaften". Filmportal.de (in German). Deutsches Filminstitut. Retrieved 2015-07-04.
- ^ "Wahlverwandtschaften (1974)". Lexikon des internationalen Films (in German). Retrieved 2015-07-04.
Im historischen Dekor und im Dialog verfehlt der Film die Problematik der Vorlage; Verkürzungen und Straffungen führen bisweilen zur Unverständlichkeit des Ablaufs. Was bei Goethe als Zusammenprall von Sitten- und Naturgesetz dargestellt ist, erscheint im Film als ein Infragestellen von Norm, Moral und Ethik der bürgerlichen Ehe. Für Literaturfreunde dennoch ein bemerkenswerter Beitrag.
Recent Comments