Norbert Schwientek Movies
- 1973
Ottocaro (Francois Simon) has a flea circus. When those fleas are killed by a nearby spraying of insecticide, he decides to stage an homage to the black plague, using rats. His activities draw the attention of a rich man who wishes to actually spread the plague. This nefarious plot is denied fruition by the brave actions of Ottocaro. This Swiss film is in the German language, and is an important example of the filmmaking movement known as anti-illusionism by the noted Swiss director Thomas Koerfer. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In this uneven drama, director Beat Kuert tries to stay as close to the story's literary source as possible, relying heavily on images. Based on a book by Herman Burger, the story is about a schoolteacher who is driven to insanity both by his irrational fear of being buried alive and his isolation in a remote part of Switzerland (Schilten). The people of the area are depicted as inhuman, lacking spirituality, and obviously not the kind of individuals to whom the schoolteacher can relate. In the film, the natural beauty of the Swiss landscape is impressive and so as the schoolteacher slips into insanity it is difficult to blame it on his surroundings. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norbert Schwientek
- 1983
This film picks up the story of how Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) came to write The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), and then how the character Werther himself seemed to affect the life of his equally young, 25-year-old creator. After arriving in Frankfurt having just obtained his law degree, Goethe fell in love with Charlotte Buff, a 20-year-old woman who chose to marry a notary, Georg Christian Kestner. Goethe's suffering from his loss was channeled into the novel about young Werther, who like Goethe, not only loses his love but commits suicide in the bargain. That latter tragedy was inspired by the suicide of a friend of Goethe's, Karl Wilhelm Jerusalem, despondent because the woman he loved was married to another and any relationship between them was impossible. Goethe's novel soon became one of the most popular books of its time and set a model for future writers to follow. And as the character of Werther exorcised Goethe's own miseries over his first tragic love affair, the playwright, scientist, lawyer, and poet was ready for his next move to Weimar -- though he did not write very much for the next ten years. The last part of the documentary is a scene between Napoleon Bonaparte and Goethe, when the great French military strategist took time away from his campaigns to converse with the aging Goethe about the character of young Werther. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lutz Weidlich, Sunnyi Melles, (more)
- 1986
aka: Flies in the Light Although it is stylistically developed and refined, this thriller does not live up to its name since any "thrills" are sacrificed for the look and feel of B-movies in moods, sets, and camerawork. The plot wanders around in several directions at once but in a general sense, it is motivated by a pricey painting and those who would like to own it. A sophisticated art thief steals this painting from display in an art gallery and then has to turn around and steal it away from the site of a religious cult. Set up to recall mystery thrillers like The Maltese Falcon, Motten im Licht is a good formal imitation but would need a Dashiell Hammett to bring it up to par. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Quite a few years ago, Isaak Kohler (Maximillian Schell) cooly walked up to a man everyone assumed was his friend and shot him dead. This took place in front of dozens of witnesses in a busy restaurant, and there was no question about his guilt. What he never revealed was his motive. He has been in prison serving a twenty year sentence ever since. Perhaps in order to ease his daughter's pain about the incident, he has hired a legal representative to arrange for him to receive a retrial. He is still unforthcoming about his reasons for committing the crime, and invites the struggling lawyer to make something up. This crime and courtroom drama is based on a novel by Friedrich Durrenmatt, whose works are highly respected within the German-speaking intellectual community but whose appeal has proved difficult to translate. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maximilian Schell, Thomas Heinze, (more)
- 1994
A super straight-arrow Swiss-German town becomes obsessed with upholding the law in this grim drama set in 1964. The cop is Sergeant Zumbuhl who cares nothing for political delicacy when doing his job. Recently the town has been plagued by drunk drivers so Zumbuhl has taken to standing outside the local pub to catch the drunks before they cause trouble. One night he arrests the mayor, who later retaliates by having Zumbuhl's misanthropic, stuttering son, who is an excellent motocross rider, thrown off the town team. Meanwhile Zumbuhl is given a choice, demotion or unemployment. He chooses the latter and next finds a dull job working at a railroad station. One night he finds a young woman who has been brutally raped, lying upon the railroad tracks. When Zumbuhl discovers that his own son harmed the girl he knows he has no choice but to see that justice is done. But his idea of justice is a little twisted and most unexpected. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2000
A criminal learns he has more to fear than the police in this tale of supernatural horror. Roman (Gustavo Salami) is a thief on the run after robbing a bank; understandably eager to avoid prying eyes, Roman stops at a nearly deserted hotel overseen by a ghoulish manager (Norbert Schwientek). After Roman is shown to his room, he discovers a red dress is hanging in the closet -- and a dead girl (Vanessa Augustin) is hanging in his bathroom. Desperate to avoid the attention of police, Roman bundles the body into a large suitcase and drags it away to a filling station. However, no sooner has he disposed of the dead child than he sees a girl who looks exactly like the victim playing near the hotel, setting in motion a strange cycle of terror. Orgienhaus was screened at the 2000 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A young boy whose remarkable, almost supernatural capacity for learning prompts his parents to anticipate a brilliant future as a pianist rebels to take his fate into his own hands in director Fredi M. Murer's contemplative family drama. By kindergarten Vitus is reading encyclopedias, and by age five he is a piano prodigy. Despite the fact that his parents do their best to nurture the young boy's natural talent for music, Vitus seems strangely disinterested in refining his exceptional talents on the ivory. In fact, the only place where Vitus seems to be in his element is in his eccentric grandfather's cluttered workshop. Now, as the young boy begins to display a keen interest in aviation, one fateful leap will set his entire future into motion, and offer a compelling preview of things to come. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teo Gheorghiu, Bruno Ganz, (more)
