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» » Europa und der zweite Apfel (1988)

Short summary

The film focuses on Kleist himself, torn-up, engulfed in the search for knowledge, for identity and trapped in his loneliness and self-centeredness, bouncing all over walls, grimaces, cruelty, suffering.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Stanober
    »Europa und der zweite Apfel', based on a novel written by Heinrich Von Kleist, is a real masterpiece and one of the rare films that I have seen twice in a two days.

    I had to see this film several times because it has many different levels of meaning.

    The first level is its high stylization and sophisticated aesthetic which attracts the educated film fan to stay in front of screen and enjoys the beauty of visual art itself. Something like in the movies of Peter Greenaway.

    Second thing that can be found is brilliant acting (Brandauer, of course!) but also the art of space and movement – ballet dancers versus the baroque-artificial blessing Marionettentheater which, helped by the ambient mechanical music, make hypnotic atmosphere and involve you into the multi medially made meditation that opens the senses and mind for the esoteric illumination.

    Neuenfels intelligently plays with the Greek myth concerning the seduction of Europe, as the introduction to the political and philosophical themes which have their roots in the Christian and Pagan archetypes in European's collective conciseness.

    The core of the movie is connection between Biblical motive of first sin and God's punishment (»the first apple«) with the second temptation (»der zweite Apfel') of making a new united Europe (and Germany, too: the year of film making is 1988) as a society without identity and soul, which is ruled by automats. The power of automats is presented by the metaphorical comparison between human dancers and the far more efficient mechanical ones (Marionettentheater). The Devil of our time is fascinated by the power of automatic dance.

    Also, The Devil shows the better skill as the swordsman than humans, because he plays without conscience, base on pure instincts. But the bear is even better, as the introduction that the Europeans are entering into the age of turning people into automats or animals, but without the final answer: the fact is that the natural law rules, and the closer to the law, the more efficient one is. And the machines are made to strictly follow the mathematical and physical laws. As the animals do with the natural instincts. Is this the way to the perfect world? The future will tell.

    So, the dilemma is here, but the final result is unknown and may be found somewhere between science, psychoanalysis and religion. Everyone can find its own point of view, initiated by the magical movie I am writing about.
  • Cast overview, first billed only:
    Hans-Michael Rehberg Hans-Michael Rehberg - Herr C.
    Ingo Hülsmann Ingo Hülsmann - Heinrich von Kleist
    Elisabeth Trissenaar Elisabeth Trissenaar - Europa
    Bernhard Minetti Bernhard Minetti - Mann mit S
    Ulrich Wildgruber Ulrich Wildgruber - Prediger
    Peter Palitzsch Peter Palitzsch - Von Gneisenau
    Mathieu Carrière Mathieu Carrière - Von Clausewitz
    Hermann Treusch Hermann Treusch - Von Scharnhorst
    Irm Hermann Irm Hermann - Elisabeth von Bayern
    Lola Müthel Lola Müthel - Shinx
    Klaus Maria Brandauer Klaus Maria Brandauer - Marionette
    Egon Madsen Egon Madsen - Tänzer des Apoll
    Eva Evdokimova Eva Evdokimova - Tänzerin der Daphne
    Emanuela von Frankenberg Emanuela von Frankenberg - Preußin
    Tanja von Oertzen Tanja von Oertzen - Preußin
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