COMEDIAN HARMONISTS (M). (Champion Films/Sharmill Films) Director: Joseph Vilsmaier Stars: Ben Becker, Heino Ferch, Ulrich Noethen, Heinrich Schafmeister, Max Tidof, Kai Wiesenger, Meret Becker, Katja Riemann, Dan Vavrova, Noemi Fischer, Susi Nicoletti, Rudolf Wessely, Rolf Hoppe, Otto Sander, Jurgen Scornagel, Gunter Lamprecht Running time: 125 minutes (German, with English subtitles).
Like the famous musical von Trapp family, the Comedian Harmonists were a popular vocal group who were eventually forced to flee Germany in the 1930's to escape the tyranny of the Nazi regime.
In this epic story, writer/director Joseph Vilsmaier (the visually lush but dull Brother Of Sleep, etc) traces the rise of this vocal sextet, one of the most popular bands of the 1920's and 1930's. This lavishly produced biopic follows the band's history, from its humble beginnings amid the night-clubs, cafes and brothels of Berlin to its resounding international success and its eventual break-up, forced by Hitler's vicious anti-Semitic policies.
This beautifully constructed and provocative musical has vague echoes of the classic Sound Of Music. But it also has echoes of the darker Cabaret, as it explores the more sinister aspects of the rise of Nazism during the decadent 1920's and economically depressed 1930's.
Comedian Harmonists opens in 1927, with unemployed musician and arranger Harry Frommermann (Ulrich Noethen) assembling the sextet, with the help of ambitious singer Robert Biberti (Ben Becker). The band drew heavily on the vocal style of US bands like The Revellers, but injected a touch of humour into their rendition of popular, bawdy tunes. A number of important subplots explore the changing political climate of Germany and detail the growing internal pressures on the band as racial and sexual tensions surface. The Jewish Harry and blond Aryan Robert vie for the attentions of Erna (Meret Becker), a beautiful young student who works as an assistant in a record shop.
External pressure is also brought to bear on the group, as the Nazi authorities want the band to either get rid of the three Jewish members or perform tunes written by more acceptable writers. The band thought that their reputation and international fame would protect them from the intolerant and ignorant racial policies of Hitler's regime, but they were wrong.
The darker, more troubling events of the film are offset by some beautifully arranged musical numbers, drawn from re-mastered versions of the original recordings. The production values and staging are all fabulous. Vilsmaier, who is also the cinematographer, has an eye for detail, and visually the film is quite sumptuous and rich. His recreation of the decadent Berlin of the 1920's is stunning. The performances from the superb ensemble cast are all perfectly pitched at the right level. A superbly crafted and lavishly produced film, Comedian Harmonists is an enjoyable, and ultimately moving cinematic experience.
***1/2 greg king http://www.netau.com.au/gregking
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