The Bread of Those Early Years
- Christian Doermer: Walter Fendrich
- Karen Blanguernon: Gertrud
- Vera Tschechowa: Ulla Wickweber
- Eike Seal: Woman bready
- Tilo von Berlepsch: Father Fendrich
- Gerry Bretscher: Wolf Wickweber
The bread of the early years is a German film from 1961 based on the eponymous story by Heinrich Böll. Director Herbert Vesely out by this staging the New German Cinema.
Action
It tells the story of an unspectacular average German citizen who has it is comfortably furnished in the Federal Republic in the late Adenauer years and so far believed that he would lead a happy and fulfilled life.
Walter Fendrich is an electrician and has as an assembler of washing machines a regular income. He has not just a matter of course at that time, their own car and lives in a middle-class apartment. His social advancement also seems assured, since his boss's daughter, Ulla Wickweber, his girlfriend is. So far, these material things guideline were in the life of Walter Fendrich, who grew up in poverty-stricken conditions. But one day everything will at a stroke different, he presents his previous existence in question, and all work done so far on the head.
After a reunion with his childhood friend Gertrude throws him emotionally completely off track. Love hits him so suddenly that he must be stated a total futility of his life. So far for him applicable standards of value lose their meaning, socially prescribed guidelines and conventions he may not follow immediately. Fendrich draw the appropriate conclusions from these findings: he left his job and separates on the same day by Ulla to begin with Gertrud a new life and to enjoy a new freedom.
Production
The shooting took place in November and December 1961 in Berlin. The premiere took place during the International Film Festival of Cannes 1962 held on 22 May 1962. The German premiere was a day later in Cologne.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Oberhausen Manifesto The bread of the early years was re- listed on 6 May 1987.
Production costs amounted to DM 400,000 The film was funded by the State of North Rhine -Westphalia with 100,000 DM.
Vesely had insisted to let start the film in Cannes before the German premiere because he expected the French film criticism substantive judgments of the German. But the French criticism rejected the movie largely. Also in Germany was the bread of the early years neither a critic nor a popular success, and so the New German Cinema only came in the mid 60s with it and Young Törless the breakthrough.
The two Supporting Actor Eike seal and Tilo von Berlepsch were married to each other.
Awards
The bread of the early years was on June 24, 1962, the Second Prize for a full-length feature film, Film Award, awarded. The first prize was not awarded this year.
As a Best Actress Vera Tschechowa also received the Film Award in the category of Best Actress. More film ribbons in gold went to the young cameraman Wolf Wirth, who presented unusually verismo, unleashed and anlehnende to the French Nouvelle Vague film - traditional images, as well as to the composer Attila Zoller and Herbert Vesely in the category of Best New Director.
Criticism
In the mirror is at the premiere to read as follows: " In Cannes, but was heard only gentle lapping well was the unconventional camera work Wolf Wirths, the Berlin critic Friedrich Luft for. " Holds one of the boldest eyes people of our film, " also from the Festival - criticism in Cannes with praise intent ( " Le Figaro ": " captivate Many images strong") However, the optical finesse - frantic camera movements or grainy close-ups, as they are seen in the trite photo Journal "Magnum" - verdeutlichten only the misconception. of the film in a violent nature will be new, and therefore, as critics took air, " confused, unclear, over-stylized, diffuse and painful at the end " remains. [ ... ] Vesely, however, destroyed the chronology of the narrative deliberately. Inspired by reading various productions of the French " nouveau roman ," he added of " memories, conjecture, reactions and products" the course of action in a bizarre way anew. Initially he circulates through testimony the outer facts a. From telephone conversations, snippets of conversation, inner monologues and log records then the image of a day adds, as in the puzzle game in the hero's life together. [ ... ] So frankly Vesely experimented in formals, so shy he met the metaphysical and religious painting of the literary text. In Boll is the hero since the famine years after the war by a " wolfish " greed obsessed for bread, which puts him in a latent contradiction to his civilized surroundings and finally is the prerequisite for its "break with the bourgeois life." "
Reclams film leader analyzed the bread of the early years are as follows: The Movie " has its importance mainly as a radical rejection of the then usual prefabricated mediocrity, which he, however, did not oppose the right alternative. The Bread of Those Early Years is a kind of visual encyclopedia of cinematic possibilities - fully refined pictorial compositions, rapid pans, daring rides, fast-paced montages. But these details do not win right function for the whole, remain impressive, but occasionally tedious exercises in style "
Kay Weniger The great people lexicon of the film described the film as Vesely's most important work and called the production " cool aestheticized ". It is also recalled that the bread of the early years " was considered a trigger for the start of the era of the ' New German Films' only in retrospect. "
The lexicon of the International Films wrote: " The often nested, developed from different perspectives staging contains many extravagances and novelty items, although the West German cinema of the early '60s busy, but overall the presentation were little justice. "