It is a funny thing about the Defa studios in East-Germany that the Bolshevist party actually paid the production of films with a critical content. Afterwards they were just not distributed, but referred to the archives by the censors. It is the exact opposite with IMDb! Spur der Steine is such a production (Karla is another). The critique aims at the party bureaucracy, that tries to stifle publicity about any immoral, fraudulent or inadequate behavior of its officials. The state ideology was a religion, with human Gods, and these can not tolerate any fallibility or nuance. She should be perfect ("the party is always right"). the producers could only elaborate on mild shortcomings like adultery and waste, since it was unthinkable to mention corruption or nepotism. In Karla the derailments occur in a school, and in Spur der Steine the scenery is a building conglomerate. The project of the conglomerate is unsound, and the party sends a political secretary Horrath in order to improve the situation. The solution turns out to be a three-shift system, which includes night shifts. At the same time Kathy, the daughter of a high-rank party official and an architect, is added to the project. The two start an affair No, not the daughter and the architect, stupid! Only after Kathy becomes pregnant, she learns that Horrath is married. The usual pattern develops: Horrath promises to break up his marriage, but does not deliver the goods. Kathy is left behind with empty hands (ponder about that one). He even serves on the party committee, that must pass judgment on the sinful young mother. Never the less Kathy continues to believe his idle promises. But it is obvious that the relation is doomed. Eventually the affair comes out, and Horraths marriage collapses. But it also kills the intense passions ("It is too late"). Kathy departs to elsewhere, and Horrath is demoted - although his productive qualities are acknowledged. And no, the film is not witty. What remains is the embarrassment of the party management, that fears to have lost its credibility. The pleasant part of the story is the leader Hannes ("Balla", the illustrious Manfred Krug) of a building brigade, himself not a party member, but a "rebel without a cause". Amazing! Is there a hidden message? It is obvious that you can not build a society on illusions. Beliefs lack curiosity and the capacity to renovate. And humor. Joke from during the revolution of 1990: "Now many say the truth without getting red". My version does not have English subtitles. If you are curious about law-abiding films from East-Germany, consider seeing "Schlosser und Katen" (with subtitles!). It is nice to know what has been said.
Review of Trace of Stones
