The Doorway to Hell (1930) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch

on
  The Doorway to Hell (1930) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch  American Film, Crime, Drama Academy Awards, 1931- Nominee: Best Writing, Original Story The early 1930s in Hollywood were marked by a frantic, electric energy as the industry found its voice—literally. In the middle of this transition, a gritty little gem called The Doorway to Hell slipped into theaters, offering a blueprint for the gangster epics that would soon dominate the silver screen. While it often sits in the shadow of the titans that followed, this film captures a specific, raw moment in cinematic history that feels surprisingly modern even today. More on Wikipedia or Mubi  The Brutal Elegance of The Doorway to Hell  At its heart, the story follows a young gang leader who attempts to trade the chaos of the underworld for a quiet, respectable life. It is a classic American tragedy wrapped in the smoke of a speakeasy. The narrative leans heavily into the irony of a man trying to es...
0

Watch Die Buntkarierten (1949)

on

 

Die Buntkarierten (1949)
German Film, Drama
English title: The Girls in Gingham
Alternative title: Baverskin

Cannes Film Festival, 1949- Official Selection
Critical acclaim
Box Office Hit
One of the Great German Films

Released in 1949, Die Buntkarierten (English title: Girls in Gingham) is a significant German film that stands as a key example of early East German cinema. Directed by Kurt Maetzig, one of the founding fathers of the state-owned DEFA studio, the film is a sweeping drama that chronicles the life of a working-class woman and her family over three generations. This spans from the late 19th century to the post-World War II period. More than a simple family saga, it serves as a powerful historical narrative that interprets a tumultuous 70 years of German history through a distinctly socialist lens. More on Wikipedia or Mubi

Plot and Thematic Core

The film's protagonist is Guste Schmiedecke, an illegitimate daughter born to a maid in 1884. Guste's life seems preordained to follow her mother's path, but she finds love and marries a worker named Paul. As a wedding gift, her employers give them the simple, checkered bed sheets that were typical for servants—the "Buntkarierten" or "gingham ones," from which the film takes its name. These sheets become a poignant symbol of her family's proletarian identity and their struggles.

The narrative follows Guste through the major political and economic upheavals of the 20th century. Her husband, Paul, is conscripted in World War I, and she is left to support her family by working in a munitions factory. When she realizes her labor contributes to the senseless war, she quits, choosing to earn a living cleaning houses instead. The family endures the economic crisis and the rise of fascism, which leads to Paul's death after he loses his job for his trade-unionist activities. The family's suffering continues through World War II, culminating in the death of her children in a bombing raid.

By the film's conclusion, Guste's sole surviving family member is her granddaughter, Christel. With a new opportunity for social mobility in the nascent East German state, Christel is about to attend university—the first in her family to do so. In a powerful final scene, Guste sews Christel a dress from the old checkered bed sheets, imparting a final message for her granddaughter to always fight for peace and freedom.

Production and Historical Context

Die Buntkarierten was an adaptation of a successful radio play, "Während der Stromsperre" (During the Blackout), by Berta Waterstradt. The film was made in the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany before the official founding of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). This timing proved crucial, as it allowed for a degree of artistic freedom that would later be curtailed by stricter state censorship. Director Kurt Maetzig and writer Berta Waterstradt were able to resist Soviet censors' suggestions for changes to the script, resulting in a film that, while promoting a socialist message, did so in a relatively moderate and humane style.

The film's production showcased the talent of Maetzig, who had already achieved major success with his previous film, Ehe im Schatten (Marriage in the Shadows), and the leading actress, Camilla Spira, in her first screen role since being banned from acting during the Nazi regime.

Critical Reception and Legacy

Upon its release, Die Buntkarierten was a huge commercial success, selling over 4 million tickets. It received widespread critical acclaim in both East and West Germany, with publications like the West German Der Spiegel praising it for its spirit and wit. The film was also entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.

The film's success can be attributed to its ability to connect with audiences in a deeply personal way, addressing the trauma and suffering of recent German history from a new perspective. Scholars have noted that the film was one of the earliest to feature a self-assured, female protagonist, a character type that would become more common in subsequent DEFA films. While its ending has been described as somewhat "schematic" in its explicit political messaging, it effectively encapsulates the Marxist-Leninist interpretation of history: that the struggles of the working class culminate in the promise of a socialist future. Die Buntkarierten remains a vital document of post-war German cinema, a powerful testament to the resilience of ordinary people and a foundational work of the East German film industry.

Strengths of Die Buntkarierten

  • A Human-Centered Perspective on History: The film's greatest strength is its focus on the human impact of historical events. Rather than presenting a dry, didactic account of political and economic shifts, it tells the story through the eyes of an ordinary working-class woman, Guste. This makes the grand historical narrative relatable and emotionally resonant. Audiences, particularly those in post-war Germany, could identify with Guste's struggles with war, poverty, and loss, which mirrored their own experiences.

  • A Strong and Unique Female Protagonist: At a time when many films, including the West German Trümmerfilm ("rubble films"), often portrayed women in a supportive, subservient role, Die Buntkarierten stands out. Guste is a self-assured, resilient, and morally independent character. Her decision to quit her factory job because she refuses to contribute to the war effort is a powerful act of moral defiance. This portrayal of a strong female protagonist who drives the narrative was a pioneering move for German cinema and would become a recurring feature in later DEFA films.

  • Artistic and Technical Excellence: The film was lauded for its production quality. The make-up and cinematography, in particular, were praised for their effectiveness in aging the lead actress, Camilla Spira, over the course of 70 years. Director Kurt Maetzig, a founding figure of the DEFA studio, was a skilled filmmaker who created a compelling and well-paced film. His work on this and other early DEFA films, like Marriage in the Shadows, showcased a cinematic talent that was widely recognized in both East and West Germany.

  • A Moderate and Accessible Political Message: Because the film was produced before the full-blown ideological rigidity of the East German state, its socialist message is conveyed in a relatively subtle and humane way. The blame for the wars and suffering is placed on the capitalist system and the arms industry (represented by the Krupp family), rather than on the German people themselves. This resonated with a broad audience and contributed to the film's commercial success.

Weaknesses of Die Buntkarierten

  • A "Schematic" Ending: The film's primary weakness is its ending, which is often described by critics as "schematic" or overly simplistic. The final scene, where Guste's granddaughter is on her way to university in the new socialist state, serves as a clear and explicit ideological statement. It suggests that the long history of working-class struggle has culminated in the perfect, classless society of the GDR. While this was the intended message, it can feel like a heavy-handed, propagandistic conclusion that undermines the nuanced, character-driven storytelling of the rest of the film.

  • Oversimplified Historical Interpretation: While the film's focus on class struggle provides a clear narrative, it also presents a highly selective and one-dimensional view of German history. It largely ignores the complexities of the period and places all blame squarely on a capitalist-militaristic elite. This Marxist-Leninist interpretation of history, while a staple of East German cinema, fails to account for other factors, particularly the role of the general populace in the rise of fascism.

  • Potential for Glorifying the Victim: The film's narrative, which casts the working class as the "first victims" of fascism, can be seen as a way of absolving ordinary Germans from responsibility for the atrocities of the Nazi regime. This perspective was a common theme in early East German films, which sought to establish a new, antifascist identity for the state. While it was a useful tool for nation-building, it glosses over the uncomfortable truths of complicity and mass participation.
    Full Film

Comments

Post a Comment