Der brave Sünder

It­ is ­definitely ­film ­director ­Kortner’s­ most ­important ­legacy:­ DER BRAVE ­SÜNDER is ­not ­only ­one ­of ­the ­great ­sound ­films ­of ­the ­Weimar Republic ­era ­but ­also ­a ­unique­ piece ­of ­cinema ­from the ­aesthetic ­point ­of view.­ Alfred­ Polgar’s ­comedy ­“Die ­Defraudanten”, ­a ­complete ­theatrical failure, ­thoroughly ­revised­ by­ Polgar ­himself ­and ­Kortner ­for ­the ­cinema, affords ­actor ­Max ­Pallenberg ­the ­opportunity ­to ­give ­a ­breathtaking ­performance. ­Were ­it ­not ­for ­DER ­BRAVE ­SÜNDER, ­we ­might ­barely­ be ­able to ­imagine ­that­ actor’s ­astonishing ­talent ­from ­the­ remainder ­of­ his ­cinematic ­record. ­This ­everlasting ­story ­is­ about ­the ­petit­ bourgeois ­from ­the provinces­ who­ comes ­to ­a ­modern ­big­ city­ Babylon,­ where­ he ­loses ­his bearings­ and ­goes ­astray. ­(Ines ­Steiner)

Introduction by: Martin Girod