The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty
- Arthur Brauss: Josef Bloch
- Kai Fischer: Hertha Gabler
- Erika Pluhar: Gloria
- Libgart Black: Anna
- Marie Bardischewski: Maria
- Bert Fortell: customs officer
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick is a feature film by the German director Wim Wenders in 1972. The film is based on the story by Peter Handke. Wenders described the film as his first work. Previously, he had indeed already made several short films and the feature film Summer in the City, to a wider audience but was made public only at The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick.
Action
The football goalkeeper Josef Bloch is sent off for foul play. He then pulls aimlessly through Vienna and meets the cashier Gloria, with whom he spends the night. The next morning he kills them, driving to a friend's Burgenland and waits for the police.
Background
Wim Wenders read the manuscript of his friend Handke even before the publication of the book, and decided to make a movie out of it. He kept very closely to the book. The budget of the film was about 600,000 DM, the main donors were the West German radio and the Austrian Telefilm AG. This Wenders was able to work with professional actors for the first time. His last film, Summer in the City, still had a budget of only 12,000 DM for the first time Wenders turned from a screenplay and in color.
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick was also the first film to be released was founded in 1971 Filmverlag the authors.
From considerations, to oblige the German national goalkeeper Wolfgang Fahrian for the role of Joseph Bloch, they took distance, and opted instead for an experienced actor, namely Arthur Brauss. This was highly praised by critics later.
The film was first shown February 29, 1972 on television and came on 13 October of the same year in the German cinemas. Wenders and Handke had assumed that the film would be very successful. However, this expectation was not fulfilled. One reason was that a typical sports movie was expected from the title, while The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick is a psychological crime drama. When the critics but the film was quite recognition.
Criticism and Awards
The film was shown in 1972 at the International Film Festival in Venice and received the Film Critics' Prize.