Elective Affinities (film)
Elective Affinities (German: Die Wahlverwandtschaften) is a 1974 East German drama film directed by Siegfried Kühn. It follows the dynamics which follow when a couple invite two other people. The film is based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1809 novel Elective Affinities. It was released by the DEFA film studio on 27 August 1974.[1]
| Elective Affinities | |
|---|---|
 The film was shot at Schloss Rossewitz | |
| Directed by | Siegfried Kühn |
| Produced by | Bernd Gerwien |
| Screenplay by | Siegfried Kühn |
| Based on | Elective Affinities by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
| Music by | Karl-Ernst Sasse |
| Cinematography | Claus Neumann |
| Edited by | Helga Krause Renate Bade |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | East Germany |
| Language | German |
Cast
- Beata Tyszkiewicz as Charlotte
- Hilmar Thate as Eduard
- Magda Vasary as Ottilie
- Gerry Wolff as the Captain
- Horst Schulze as Mittler
- Christine Schorn as Baroness
- Volkmar Kleinert as Count
- Jana Plichtová as Luciane
- Nico Turoff as gardener
- Jost Braun as architect
Reception
The journal Film-Dienst wrote: "In the historical scenography and in the dialogue, the film misses the issues of the original work; shortenings and tightenings occasionally make the developments incomprehensible. What in Goethe is presented as a clash of moral and natural laws, appears in the film as a questioning of norms, moral and ethics of civil marriage. For literature fans still a remarkable contribution."[2]
References
- "Die Wahlverwandtschaften". Filmportal.de (in German). Deutsches Filminstitut. Retrieved 2015-07-04.
- "Wahlverwandtschaften (1974)". Lexikon des internationalen Films (in German). Retrieved 2015-07-04.
Im historischen Dekor und im Dialog verfehlt der Film die Problematik der Vorlage; Verkürzungen und Straffungen führen bisweilen zur Unverständlichkeit des Ablaufs. Was bei Goethe als Zusammenprall von Sitten- und Naturgesetz dargestellt ist, erscheint im Film als ein Infragestellen von Norm, Moral und Ethik der bürgerlichen Ehe. Für Literaturfreunde dennoch ein bemerkenswerter Beitrag.