Ernst Thälmann (film)

• Günther Simon: Ernst Thalmann
• Hans -Peter Minetti: Fiete Jansen
• Erich Franz Arthur Four Wide
• Erika Dunkelmann: Martha Four Wide
• Raimund Schelcher: Krischan Daik
• Karla Runkehl: Änne Harms
• Gerhard Bienert: Otto Kramer
• Robert Trösch: Kuddel Riemöller
• Wolf Kaiser: Major Squeaker
• Werner Peters: Captain Quadde
• John Arpe: Police Senator Höhn
• Martin Flörchinger: Karl Liebknecht
• Judith Harms: Rosa Luxembourg
• Steffie Spira: Clara Zetkin
• Peter Schorn: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
• Hans Flössel: Scheidemann
• Rudolf Klix: Willbrandt
• Frithjof male: General Vogt

Ernst Thalmann - son's class is a historical- biographical film of the East German DEFA film production company, which was directed by Kurt Maetzig 1954. In 1955 appeared the second part of Ernst Thalmann - leader in its class, which covers the period 1930-1944.

Action

The film begins in the first days of November of the year 1918. Thalmann The young struggling at that time on the Western Front and heard by the revolutionary uprising in Kiel. He deserted to assist his comrades in Hamburg. When the revolution comes through the treachery of right Social Democrats and the fragmentation of the working class in danger, he attempted to unite the workers. The immense suffering of the ordinary people is visibly larger. In this situation, the Hamburg police senator wants to prevent the deletion of a shipment of food from Petrograd. Thalmann continues to oppose this project. In October 1923, the Hamburg uprising begins. As culprit for the failure of the American agent August Thalheimer is called, but do not cooperate in this movie.

Background

The film was produced by the pressure from the party leadership. Thus admonished Walter Ulbricht 1952, the artist: " The DEFA should proceed to bring films about the struggle to build the foundations of socialism, ( ... ), and even bring out more such films that represent outstanding personalities in the history of our people in their work. " General of the Central Committee personally intervened in the script and delivered a thoroughly positive judgment: the film conveys ." is a vivid picture of the role of Ernst Thalmann "The work can be seen as one of the main propaganda films of the GDR, but he was the years shorter. Since 1961, the audience had to do without the scene with Josef Stalin. Wilhelm Pieck, who in the film has a cameo appearance, was represented by his son Arthur Pieck.

Reviews

• Lexicon of international film: " Historical and biographical Bilderbogen who is trying to trace the history of the German workers' movement and the historical truth by a " partisan view of history replaced ". Succeeded not so much the pathetic speech duels than the adventurous battle scenes in the Hamburg catacombs. "

Awards

• National Prize of the GDR 1954: National Prize First Class, in Kurt Maetzig (director and writer)
• National Prize, First Class at Willi Bredel and Michael Tschesno -Hell (writer)
• National Prize, First Class Karl Plintzner (Camera)
• National Prize First Class, Günther Simon

Comments on the film

" The leading idea of these films ( Ernst Thalmann I and II) for me was that this labor leader Ernst Thalmann had said, 'Who chooses Hindenburg, vote for Hitler, and who will vote for Hitler votes for war ' But this clear statement justifying the film. but which is marked in many details of the Stalinist conception of history. (...) The film tries to make Thalmann on a pedestal. And I think that's wrong, I thought the way back then. ( ... ) I've made ​​the film, and the first part in my opinion is viewable within limits and also has artistic qualities, while the second part more and more drops because of the abundance of the substance and the idealization of the shape. In many ways he is just embarrassing me. "