At Christmas in the cinema: "Buddenbrooks"
The "Buddenbrooks" on the summit of success
In the summer of 2007, the Who's Who of the German drama scene either grazed a terrorist garb or wrapped itself in costumes in the style of the 19th century. The filming of two major German films took place in parallel - on one side "The Baader Meinhof Complex", on the other side the remake of the "Buddenbrooks". And while the German theatrical autumn of 2008 was dominated by Edels "RAF" movie, the winter should now belong to Breloer's "Buddenbrooks".
It is no secret that Thomas Mann's novel "The Buddenbrooks" from 1901 bears autobiographical traits. Members of the Mann family sponsored the Buddenbrook family. Heinrich Breloer creates through an actor the connection between man-life and Mann-Werk: Armin Mueller-Stahl, in Breloers TV-movie "The Manns - A Century Novel" as Thomas Mann, gives in the "Buddenbrooks" Consul Jean, the head of the family.
Heinrich Breloer's film fades into the action, as the business of the Buddenbrooks still flourishes excellently. It competes with the Hagenströms for supremacy in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck and is ahead of them a few grain lengths. In the Buddenbrook universe, the private is inextricably linked to business. This gets especially daughter Tony (Jessica Schwarz) to feel. As a merchant's daughter, one has to marry a merchant, and so Tony finds himself at the side of Bendix Grünlich (Justus von Dohnányi) again, although she has flared up in - albeit incongruous - love for a medical student. A few years later, Mr. Grünlich turns out to be a dowry hunter, Jean Buddenbrook brings his daughter home and can not be surprised that he was so wrong.
Thomas Buddenbrook (Mark Waschke) and wife Gerda (Léa Bosco)
When Consul Jean dies, begins the "decay of the family," which Thomas Mann announces in the subtitle of his novel. Son Thomas (Mark Waschke), the first-born, does everything to keep the business running, but rubs off between work and family and realizes that his distinctive wife Gerda (Léa Bosco) lives just for her music - as well Son Hanno, who will one day take over the business. Tony runs into the marriage accident again - with Bayern Permanender (Martin Feifel), who exploits and cheats on them. Christian (August Diehl), the second son, is unsuitable as a support for the business of the Buddenbrooks. Again and again the bon vivant, who amuses himself and finds himself having an illegitimate daughter with a dancer, gets together with his brother. In the end, it is blow by blow with the blows of fate in the house Buddenbrook. Consul Bethsy (Iris Berben), jeans wife, then Thomas and finally hopeful Hanno dies first.
Today's Lübeck trimmed on 19th century
From almost 800 pages novel novel Heinrich Breloer (director and screenwriter at the same time) made 150 entertaining movie minutes. It had to be vigorously tightened, and Breloer does it as well as possible. A part of the novel staff is therefore not at all: is hidden, for example, the fourth child of Jean and Bethsy, and Tony has in the film version also no child of Grünlich. One misses the other secondary characters not in this literary adaptation. This one is too tied up by the main staff.
In addition to Armin Mueller-Stahl, especially the actors of the two Buddenbrook sons shine. Mark Waschke, so far mainly seen in the theater, is a discovery, August Diehl shows as Lebemann Christian one of his best performances. Even Jessica Schwarz convinced, albeit with the wrong hair color, because Tony is actually blond. The fact that the "Buddenbrooks" also make an impression on the screen is due not least to the detailed equipment, the costumes, the furnishings of the houses, the original venue in Lübeck. And so one lacks a little in these two and a half hours of literary cinema - only a little more Mann's irony could have tolerated the film Buddenbrooks at one point or another.
The trailer for the movie
The merchant family Buddenbrook
Consul Jean Buddenbrook (Armin Mueller-Stahl)
Consul Bethsy (Iris Berben), jeans second wife
The eldest son Thomas (Mark Waschke), who continues the company after the death of his father ...
... and Gerda Arnoldsen (Léa Bosco) marries, the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Amsterdam
Gerda and Thomas' son Hanno (Raban Bieling, right) are resting all their hopes. He should one day take over the company.
Christian (August Diehl), the second son of Buddenbrooks, is a bon vivant.
He amuses himself splendidly, but under stood with the dancer Aline Puvogel (Nina Proll).
Tony Buddenbrook (Jessica Schwarz), the daughter of the house, ...
...falls in love with Morten Schwarzkopf (Alexander Fehling), son of a Lotsenkommandanten, but she will not be allowed to marry.
