Westfront 1918 and Kameradschaft (Eureka 170-171)

[GlacierTuba]

Figured to regurgitate thoughts on Westfront 1918 here (from the other thread) and insert new thoughts on Kameraschaft here, filing it away in one thread for the UK/Ireland Eureka Blu Ray/DVD dual format release.





Westfront 1918:

This was part of the Eureka double feature Blu. Have to say this one was bloody good. For its age, and as one of the first sound films (and the first sound film by the director), it was really effing good. I loved that there wasn't some sort of grandiose soundtrack as the horrors of war played out in the murk of the trenches. Especially given the viewpoint was from the German side (and directed by a vehement anti-nazi thankfully).

Some of the photography and direction, particularly the battle sequences, is just exemplary. You'd be forgiven for thinking the far more recent film 1917 had taken a leaf out of Westfront 1918's playbook. It really is exceptional stuff. A mention again about the sound too. At a time when films were shot using sealed booths for audio and other such limiting ideas, the director here devised a portable sound recording unit to get right in on the action.

There's a real sense of claustrophobia in some sequences. It's an unflinching, warts and all film that strips war bare. I was half expecting the terrors of war to be played out to a ragtime number or jovial Charleston bopping. No. This is war. Soldiers gassed to death. Shot in the back. One poor sod gets his bloody ear shot off. It's absolutely laid out there with no bs. In fact it was so naked in its depiction of war that when the scumbag Nazi's came to power in the 1930's, they banned the film. Thankfully it survived though the original negatives is since lost.

My only criticism of the film would be that it loses some of its impact in its character studies. It absolutely excels at depicting the battlefront though. I personally think this is a disc you don't want to miss. Particularly if the other film on the disc is as good as Westfront 1918.






Kameradschaft

Out of the two films, I think Kameradschaft was my favourite. I think it presents the individual character studies better than Westfront 1918 does. However Westfront 1918 does have those remarkable battle set pieces in it's favour.

Kameradschaft is based on a true story of a mining accident in Lorraine, France in 1906 where a mining accident killed over 1000 miners. A German rescue team offered to help the French team in extracting the dead and rescuing any survivors.

What is interesting as Kameradschaft is that, being made in close proximity to Westfront 1918, it almost feels like an accompaniment to it's predecessor, even though both films subject matter is entirely unrelated (non-politically). We're again shown that humans and nations can get along without the need for xenophobia, politics and war. This is reinforced even at the opening of Kameradscahft where, post World War I, there is clear, lingering animosity between France and Germany which is slowly eroded as a perilous situation brings two nations closer together, if somewhat momentarily (e.g. 1939-1945 that would soon follow).

I found the 'spectacle' (for want of a better word in this instance) of Kameradschaft very interesting. While scenes above ground were shot on location, underground scenes were all shot on specially constructed stages and used to absolutely exquisite effect. Questionable health and safety aside, there's some set pieces here that are staged and filmed absolutely flawlessly. It dawned on me while viewing Kameradschaft that this was, in a way, a very early predecessor to the likes of the Iriwin Allen disaster films of that would dominate the 1970's. With the exception in this instance that Kameradschaft was based on a true story.

Just like Westfront 1918, Pabst grabs a motion picture camera, a 'blimp' (to aid in allowing the camera to work fluidly with his makeshift mobile sound rig), and just runs wild capturing some absolutely magnificent shots that truley emphasise the claustrophobic atmosphere within the mine shafts. One shot in particular was mightily impressive, tracking rescue workers wading through coal, mud and water all the way down the length of one mine cart rail track. I'd love to know how it was actually done because it's a remarkable shot.

There's a real honesty about the acting here too, whereas Westfront 1918 came across as a little bit 'drama school' at times (this is why I griped a little about the character studies in that film). A poignant moment comes about halfway through between a grandfather and grandson. There's just something very natural about the acting at times and it reinforces the impact the film has on the viewer.

Kameradschaft uses a similar storytelling technique to Westfront 1918, in the way it's exposition is more or less piecemealed to the viewer. Each little segment moves the story along just enough before you begin the next piece. There's no bold, grand score either, just like with Westfront 1918 the film delivers the sounds of industrial noise, screams, agony, rubble, explosions, tears, grief and anger to enhance what's happening. It works to tremedous effect and, again like Westfront 1918, there was no sound mixing equipment used. Sound and effects were painstakingly added in manually to the film audio track but work to great effect.

The ending is particularly poignant and delivers reflections of total contrast. It's hard to say more without spoiling it other than to say it's very well done and that I can also see how it would have ruffled the feathers of some audience members and also alerted the scumbags in the then (unfortunately) popular Nazi political party. Kameradschaft is a great film in it's own right. Even better is having it on a double bill disc with another equally great film, Westfront 1918.

Aside, I think it is worth mentioning the booklet packed in with this disc, which I enjoyed greatly. You get a nice selection of images and artwork, as well as a brief, but interesting essay covering both films and also a little about director G.W. Pabst. It is a bit spoileriffic though so I'd save reading it until after you've seen both films. Well worth the read though for the additional insight on both films and also the director.

The disc itself is pretty much no frills. You get a basic menu, tastefully presented, with options to watch an introduction for each film as well as the ability to turn subtitles off and on. This is important for Kameradschaft as it offers the viewer THREE unique ways to watch the film in line with how it was presented at the time.

On it's original release, Kameradschaft was presented in France with no subtitles for the German dialogue. In Germany, this was reversed, with no subtitles for the French dialogue. The idea being that audiences should make up their own minds as to what was being expressed and conveyed on the screen in the sections of dialogue that were not translated. This is replicated on the Eureka disc so you can choose to watch the film with subtitles for the French or German parts only, and then have subtitles for all the dialogue, the choice is yours.

In summary this is just a great double feature disc and well worth anyones time to watch. Two good films are present here. Well made, wonderfully shot and both superb pieces of film history in their own right. Highly recommended (for whatever my recommendations are worth).