Kameradschaft (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

This film from G.W. Pabst, made in 1931, is the sequel so to speak, of ¨Westfront¨, which was made the previous year (1930). Inspired by a real event who happened in France in 1906, Pabst brings the action in the early thirties and we all know that this era was a troubled one in Germany wtih the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. The end is a happy one, but the fact that they still restore the fence who separate the french and the german part of the mine is almost a premonition of what would happen in 1939. Definitely a great movie to watch and enjoy.

Criterion Blu-ray is exceptional with interesting extras.

This was the French speaking version...Disappointed the description of the film did not say. Opening English subtitles explain that.

Works great no complaints

The film would have been a good film except for and the subtitles were unreadable because you can hardly see them

Even though this German/French production is loosely based on the famous 1906 Courrieres mine disaster in which 1,099 miners died, the film also reminded me a lot of Emile Zola's masterpiece "Germinal" which I've read countless times. I cannot recommend that novel enough. It changed my life.The large mine in this film is divided by the border of Germany and France. They even have a brick wall underneath to mark the divide. Early one morning there's a massive explosion on the French side and an unknown number of miners are trapped or dying down in the rubble. After hearing this news the German miners ignore all political and national differences and race across the border to help their fallen brothers. Some of the miners that are already in the pit on the German side break through the border wall to go help with the rescue efforts.The peace and love message of the film might be overly simplistic, but the technical aspect of this early sound film is very impressive. Especially the realism of the explosion and the misery the survivors went through. I don't know how Pabst managed to get such realistic footage, but I would love to find out. Criterion should release a remastered Blu-Ray with an special feature on how this film was made. Was this movie all filmed on sets or did they actually film it in a mine?If you can find a copy I recommended it, but still this film pales in comparison to Claude Berri's 1993 adaptation of "Germinal".

I, frankly, had never heard of this movie prior to seeing it on the TCM schedule. The synopsis sounded interesting so I took a chance. What I saw was a movie in Fench and German (depending on who was talking) about a mining crisis on the Franco-German border. The event takes places between the wars which was probably not a phrase in use at the time since the movie pre-dates WWII. Anyone familiar with European history from 1850-1950 knows that France and Germany were bitter enemies throughout the period. If you're not aware of that, you'll get some idea of that in the opening sequences. We are also reminded of the impoverished times that was affecting both countries. With this background, we also see problems developing underground in the mines. A fire has been burning and it threatens the safety on the French side. Obviously, we sense, a disaster is about to break. When it does, some minors from the German side offer their help. That's pretty much the plot of the movie and I'm not giving anything away because the beauty of the film lies in the reactions of the minors. There is an uncomfortable sense of the right thing to do that is coupled with rational arguments for looking out for yourself. Even when the right decision is made, the other side has a hard time understanding what is happening. In the end we are treated to a sort of "Workers of the world unite" gathering. This, too, was a sign of the times since Socialism and Communism were growing political forces in Europe. However, I let the politics be and understood the celebration to be about the discovery that these men had a common equality that ancestoral animosities could not overpower. The director, G W Pabst, may have been reaching further but I'm content with my understanding of the movie. I had heard of Pabst before but I think this movie is the first of his I've seen. I'll be more than willing to view more of his work after seeing "Kameradschaft". I may have rated it a star too high but I really felt that it was a meaningful statement, made with sincerity and eloquence. Watch it and judge for yourself.

It's the old story about miners without borders, but played with a subtle understatement and eventually a heroic balls to the wall "breaking free" charge that produces real exhilaration. When you're watching it, see if you can turn off the subtitles for otherwise how will you appreciate the film's extraordinary verbal textures, with half of the characters speaking French, the other German, sort of an aural metaphor for the Tower of Babel theme Pabst sets up early on. It's almost as though the masters have dictated that none of us speak the other guy's language, for if we did, we'd realize solidarity and overthrow the big boys.Speaking of big boys, Pabst provides acres of kameradschaft in more ways than one in the famous underground shower scene, about half an hour into the movie for all you pervs who want to skip right to the "good parts." This extended scene sets up the "I am Spartacus" scene in which one by one, the German miners who hear about their French counterparts' trouble break ranks and try to help their fellow man. What's astonishing for the period is that they do so naked. What a way to stage a debate, the German actors stripped down to nothing and scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing and debating as streams of glistening water carve their bodies into moving statuary. Though the actors' genitals are carefully tucked away from the camera's eye, and we're talking dozens of them, all else is animated, alluring and vigorous. I wonder if Busby Berkeley saw this film and stole some of Pabst's peekaboo camerawork. Anyway if you're bored with your Dieux de Stade tapes and want a little political commitment (and a storyline) go for KAMERADSCHAFT.

Ich bin nicht über den Regisseur sondern über das Thema an den Film geraten. Ich lebe im Ruhrgebiet und habe mich für ein eigenes Buch in letzter Zeit intensiv mit dem Thema Bergbau beschäftigt.Der Film nimmt eine wahre Begebenheit zum Anlass. Am 10. März 1906 hatte sich in der nordfranzösischen Stadt Courrières mit 1.099 Toten die größte Bergwerkskatastrophe Europas ereignet. Obwohl auch damals schon Frankreich eher als der "Erbfeind" angesehen wurde, machte sich eine Rettungsmannschaft aus dem Ruhrgebiet auf, um den Kumpels zu helfen. Es gibt z.B. in Bochum deshalb eine "Courrières-Straße", was den ein oder anderen verwundern mag.Pabst hat aber keinen Dokumentarfilm gedreht sondern das Ganze dramaturgisch gestrafft und geschärft indem er einerseits das Ganze in die Zeit direkt nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg verlegt und indem er die Gruben räumlich näher zueinander - nämlich direkt an die Grenze - gerückt hat. Der Regisseur wird der "Neuen Sachlichkeit" zugerechnet und das merkt man dem Film auch wohltuend an. Es gibt kein falsches Pathos (da bin ich seeeeehr empfindlich!) sondern er erzählt ziemlich "trocken". Läßt einfach die Bilder wirken. Und dafür gibt es aber für die Zeit (oder überhaupt!) erstaunlich realistische Aufnahmen von unter Tage und dem Unglück. Die Aufnahmen fanden damals in Gelsenkirchen auf Consol und Alma statt. (Und dann gibt es auch noch echte Aufnahmen von einer Waschkaue. Da weiss ich jetzt wenigstens schonmal, wie es dort zuging ;-) Denn leider gibt es keine Möglichkeit mehr für "Otto-Normal-Mensch" irgendwo einzufahren. :-( )Insgesamt ein Film, den man sich durchaus ansehen sollte. Vor allem natürlich, wenn man auch nur das geringste Interesse für Bergbau hat. Aber auch sonst ist es ein Film der durchaus mit guten Bergfilmen und anderen Klassikern mithalten kann. Die Stummfilme von Pabst kenne ich nicht, habe zumindest jetzt keinen vor Augen. Kann deshalb nicht beurteilen, ob er dagegen abfällt.

Kurz gesagt, im Film geht es um die größte Bergbaukatastrohpe in Europa im Jahr 1906 in Frankreich in der Stadt Courrières.Und wie Kumpels aus Deutschland (obwohl zu der Zeit verfeindet) Kumpeln in Frankreich trotz aller Widrigkeiten zur Hilfe eilen.Ich fand die Untertage Aufnahmen besonders beeindruckend und sehr alt dazu.Sicher ist der Film nicht mit Spielfilmen von heute zu vergleichen aber für mich zählt die Geschichte und es ist quasi ein historisches Zeitdokument.

Habe 20 Jahre nach diesem Film gesucht. Die Zweisprachigkeit ist super! Wer sich im Bergbau auskennt, findet die Umsetzung ohnehin gut.