简介：LifeistranquilatthebeautifulvillageofOberstdorfuntilthearrivalofgypsiestothevillage.Theirreceptionisfarfromwarm;onlyreluctantlydoesthemayorpermitthemtostayandonlyuntiltheirbrokenwagonwheelisrepaired.However,themayor'ssons,HansundMichelarefascinatedimmediatelybytheexoticgypsySaffywhoknowsprettywellhowtousehergypsycharms.VerysoonbothbrotherswilltrytogainthefavoursofSaffybutthegypsywomanusesthemonlyforhergypsyinterests,mostlytotakerevengeforthebadtreatmentthatherpeoplehavereceivedfromthevillage.Tomakethingsworse,atheftoccursandthevillagersaccuseSaffyofthecrime.HansdefendsSaffytestifyingthattheyweretogetherwhenthetheftoccurred.ThiscreatesascandalandcausesthemayorthrowHansoutbuttheboythenjoinsthegypsiesandleavesthevillage. "WennDieAbendglockenLäuten"isalatesilentGermanfilmrecentlydiscovered,directedbyHerrHansBeck-Gadeninthesilentyearof1930.ItwasfilmedinthebeautifulandidylliclandscapesofOberstdorfandKleinwalsertal,butunderneaththebucolicappearanceisanundercurrentofconservativeandpatrioticvalues,animplicitnationalismandtheexaltationofthevirtuesofthe"Heimat";thatistosay,theGermanstrongfeelingofidentity,belonging,thehomeland. Andthathappensduringthefirstscenesofthefilmwhenthatexaltationofthevaluesofthe"Heimat",thesafetyofhome,isopenlyshown,andtheoeuvreendsonthesamenoteafterourheroHans,hasreturnedtothevillageafterbeingseducedbythewickedandforeigncharmsofthegypsySaffy.AlthoughHansundMichelshowssomecuriosityinSaffywhobringsabitofexoticismintotheirlives,it'sveryclearthatthevillagershavenouseforthegypsiesandarequicktogiveintotheirprejudicesandexpelthevisitors.WehavehereaTeutonicpopulationwithrigidconvictionsandadheringtotypicalcustomsinaccordancewiththemountainslandscape;healthyyoungstersandconservativeelderswhoarealwaysdressedupproperlyincontrasttothechaoticandcarefreegypsies. Ontheotherhand,thefilmisnotopenlyracistbutitisevident,althoughinasubtleway,thatitcomparingthetwowaysoflifeandculturesandsayingthatsocialconflictisinevitablegiventherulesandtraditionsofthegypsies. Duringthelate20's,thenumberoffilmsthatpraisedconservativevaluesandpreceptsincombinationwithidyllicmountainsettings,increasedslightly,andofcourseitisnotnecessarytosaythatthisallledtotheextremeandultrapatrioticfilmsofthe30's."WennDieAbendglockenLäuten",isinnocentbycomparisonanditwouldtakethecomingofsoundtofullydevelopthisGermansub-genre. "WennDieAbendglockenLäuten"isfilmthathasmanycharacteristicsofthe,alas,insubstantialfilmsproducedinGermanyattheendofthesilenteraandisrelativelyharmlessinitsuseof"Heimat"patrioticpreceptsandisintheGermanmountainfilmstradition.Becauseitis,thankGott,asilentfilmtheproducerswerenottemptedtoturnitintoan"operetta",sparingtheaudiencehearinganyofthosetypicalTeutonicsongs.…