Peter Luehr Movies

This story filmed in the style of a docudrama, is about a German pediatrician so intent on helping sick patients die that his enthusiasm goes against human compassion. Dr. Schumann (Hans-Michael Rehberg) starts an official organization chartered to assist patients in committing suicide, if that is their determined wish. Young Pierre (Klaus Rohrmoser) works for Dr. Schumann, and his first assignment is to unplug the life-support system from a patient in intensive care. Pierre has no problem in carrying out his mission, but when another terminally-ill patient changes his mind about euthanasia at the last minute, Dr. Schumann tells Pierre to ignore the man's change of opinion. If this was not upsetting enough, Pierre unfortunately falls in love with a lovely woman and then finds out she is one of Dr. Schumann's patients scheduled for euthanasia. From that point onward, Pierre and the doctor are set on a collision course that cannot be avoided. Given the controversial nature of the subject matter, this film is sure to draw attention -- even though it sadly skims the surface on the ethical and moral questions raised within the storyline. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This seven-hour long epic completes the "German Trilogy" of Hans-Jurgen Syberberg, which began with his meditation on the life of Ludwig II of Bavaria and continued with a biography of popular writer Karl May. In this film, he explores the factors in the German psyche which sought for and then deified a man like Hitler. Using absolutely no archival footage from the Nazi era, this highly symbolic and poetic film explores German culture and history. At times, Hitler is depicted as a toga-clad spirit, quoting Richard Wagner, and at times he appears in other guises -- all of them critical to understanding his role in the German mind, and hence to understanding the phenomena which caused the German people to support him. The film uses transcripts from radio broadcasts made during the Nazi era to underscore the importance of radio in unifying the nation at that time. Hitler: ein Film aus Deutschland was made to run in four segments on German, British and French television. The segments were titled "The Grail," "A German Dream," "The End of the Winter's Tale," and "We Children of Hell." Understanding that evil is clearly the purpose of this epochal and difficult film, the director said that, "It is easy to understand the revolt of slaves but difficult to comprehend the evil of tyrants." ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Dr. Praetorius (Heinz Ruehmann) is a successful physician and philanthropist in this routine drama, a remake of the 1949 film of the same title by the late playwright and actor Curt Goetz. A jealous colleague tries to discredit the good doctor by attempting to uncover anything in his past that may be considered sordid or questionable. Lisolette Pulver plays the doctor's love interest. A 1951 version entitled People Will Talk starred Cary Grant and Jeanne Crain. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

A biting and effective semi-experimental film about Nazism in Germany, director Kurt Hoffmann tells the story in a long flashback, starting in 1913 and playing out like a silent movie on a small screen. Every once in awhile, the action scenes, which are narrated in a voiceover, are paused for a little ironic piano music and accompanying lyrics. Hans (Hansjorg Felmy) is an anti-Nazi journalist who loses his job because he will not join the party. Bruno (Robert Graf) is a dim-witted, brutal, pro-Nazi follower who joins up to gain the recognition he desires. Years later, Bruno is a ruthless industrialist whose Nazi tactics and philosophy have not changed at all, and Hans is a VIP editor now dedicated to exposing men like Bruno for what they were during the war. The result and the accompanying commentary are quite hard-hitting. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi