化学与爱情

  • 爱情
  • 120分钟
  • DerschweigendeStern(1960)issometimescitedasthefirs… DerschweigendeStern(1960)issometimescitedasthefirstEastGermansciencefictionfilm,butthatisnotentirelycorrect.Beforethestatewasofficiallyfounded,whenitwasstillknownastheSovietSector,DEFAputoutitsfirstsciencefictionfilm—ChemistryandLove(ChemieundLiebe).It’sabreezycomedythattakesplaceintheimaginarycountrycalled“Kapitalia,”whereprofitscountforeverything.Ayoungscientistinventsawaytoturngrassintobutterwithouttheinterveningcowandsooncapitalistsandtheirhiredgolddiggersarewooinghimfromeverycorner. AswithmanyofthefilmsfromDEFA’sSovietSectordays,ChemistryandLoveisvirtuallyaWestGermanfilm.Thedirector,stars,andmuchofthetechnicalstaffhailfromWestGermany,driventotheSovietSectormoreoutofnecessitythanpoliticalsolidarity.Untiltheearlyfifties,theOfficeofMilitaryGovernment,UnitedStates(OMGUS)wasintentionallyhobblingtheGermanfilmindustryinthewesternsectors.TheostensiblereasonforthiswastopreventthereactivationofNazisympathiesthroughtheuseofmotionpictures,buttherealreasonwastohelptheU.S.filmindustryincreaseitsrevenuesinEurope.TheSovietshadnoreservationsaboutpromotingfilms,themediumhavinghelpedgalvanizethecommunistrevolutioninRussia.Thus,DEFAwasfoundedjustoneyearafterthewarended.Bytheendoftheforties,EastGermanyhadathrivingfilmindustrywhileWestGermanylanguishedunderAlliedrestrictions.ItwasonlyafterthedistributionofDEFAfilmstoLatinAmericancountriesthattheU.S.startedtorethinktheirbanonGermanfilmmaking.HadDEFAnotexisted,mostlikelyitwouldhavetakenseveralmoreyearsforWestGermanytodevelopafilmindustry. ChemistryandLoveresemblestherisquetypeofstagefarceknownas“Boulevardtheater.”ItalsobearssomeresemblancetotheAmericanScrewballcomedies,butwithoutthemanicenergyandoverlappingdialog.Whilethestorydoeshavesomesocialistthemes,stylisticallyithasmoreincommonwithUFAthanthefilmsnormallyassociatedwithDEFA.ThisfilmcouldaseasilybeenmadeinMunichatanytimeafter1933. ThestoryforthisfilmcamefromaroughdraftbyHungarianfilmtheorist,BélaBalázs.ThescreenplaywaswrittenbyFrankCliffordandMarionKeller.Clifford’srealnamewasHansHeinrichTillgner,buthechangedittoFrankCliffordduringavisittotheStates,becauseAmericanshadtroublewithhisrealname(althoughhowanyonecouldhavetroublewith“Tillgner”isbeyondme).From1930until1955,Cliffordworkedinmanycapacitiesinthefilmindustry,servingasproduceronRenéClair’sclassicÀNouslaLiberté,andproductionmanagerondozensoffilms.ChemistryandLovewashisfirstattemptatascreenplay.Thefollowingyear,heco-wrotetwomorescreenplaysforDEFA,butdidnotcontinueacareerasascreenwriterwhenhemovedbacktoWestGermany.Hisco-writer,MarionKeller,hadanevenshortercareerasascreenwriter.ChemistryandLoveisheronlyfeaturefilm. ThefilmwasdirectedbyArthurMariaRabenalt,aViennesedirectorwhogothisstartinlegitimatetheaterbeforemovingtofilms.DuringtheThirdReichyears,Rabenaltmademovies,butmaintainedanapoliticalstance.Hecontinuedwiththisapproachafterthewar,makingthreefilmsforDEFA,thenshiftingtoWestGermanyandAustriaoncethosecountrieshadrebuilttheirfilmindustries.Rabenaltwastheclassicstudiocraftsmandirector,alongthelinesofWilliamBeaudineandEdwardL.Cahninthestates.Hisfilmsmaylacktheflairofbetter-knowndirectors,buthecouldchurnoutcompetentlymademoviesonscheduleandonbudget.Hiscatalogcontainsfilmsofeverygenre,fromromance(Glücksritter)tomusicals(DerZigeunerbaron)tohorror(Alraune),buthehadaspecialpenchantforsexcomedies.Healsowroteseveraleroticnovels,aswellasbooksonfilmtheory.heretiredfromfilmsinthelateseventiesanddiedinWildbadKreuthin1993. MostofthestarsofChemistryandLovealsowentontohavecareersinWestGermany.HansNielsen(Dr.Alland)starredindozensofWestGermanpotboilers.TillyLauenstein(MartinaHöller)hadplayedinacouplefilmsbeforethis,butChemistryandLovewasherfirststarringrole.ShestarredinonemoreDEFAfilm,DasMädchenChristine,whichwasalsodirectedbyRabenalt,thenfollowedhimwesttocontinuehercareer.Sheworkedprimarilyasafilmactorupuntilherdeathin2002.AlfredBraun,thefilm’snarratorandone-manGreekchorus,wasbetterknownforhisworkinGermanradio,bothbeforeandafterWWII.In1954,hebecamethefirstdirectorofthenewlyestablishedRadioFreeBerlin(SenderFreiesBerlin).Hediedin1978. ThecinematographerforthefilmwasBrunoMondi.Mondihadalongandcontroversialcareerasacinematographer.HegothisstartasoneofseveralcameramenonFritzLang’ssilentfilm,Destiny(DermüdeTod).DuringtheThirdReich,hewasthemanresponsibleforthecameraworkinVeitHarlan’sJudSüß—consideredthemostvirulentlyanti-Semiticfilmevermade—andthecolorphotographyinHarlan’sbank-bustingKolberg.HecontributedsomeexcellentcameraworktoearlyDEFAfilms,includingRotation,DerBiberpelz(TheBeaverCoat),andDaskalteHerz(TheColdHeart),forwhichhewontheBestColorCinematographyawardattheKarlovyVaryInternationalFilmFestival.Duringthefifties,Mondibecameknownasthemasterofeye-bleedingAgfacolor,whichdemonstratedinthegorgeouslykitschySissifilms.Heretiredin1965,anddiedin1991.Hisson,GeorgMondi,hasfollowedinhisfather’sfootsteps,workingasacinematographer,primarilyinTV. ChemistryandLoveisauniquefilmintheDEFAcatalog.Itiswesterninstylebuteasternintheme;asciencefictioncomedyfromacompanythatinlateryearswouldneverconsidersuchaconcept.Itisallbutforgottentoday,butholdsanimportantplaceinthehistoryofGermanfilmhistory—eastandwest.

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