"Die goldene Stadt" is a German 100-minute movie from 1942, so this one has its 75th anniversary next year. The director is the infamous Veit Harlan and he is also one of several people working on the script. The lead actress here is his wife Kristina Söderbaum, one of the defining actresses of Nazi Germany, certainly also because of her looks that were widely considered the epitome of what an Aryan woman would look like. But honestly I must say that I have seen some of her works and I do not think she is a particularly gifted actress at all. And this film here does not change my attention. Admittedly, you have to say in her favor that the script she is given to work with here is also not a strong achievement at all. It tries to be emotionally investing so hard and that we care so so much for the protagonist that it becomes pretty cringeworthy quickly. I must say I can understand somehow why German audiences really appreciated this film during the Nazi reign. Color was something they weren't used to and it's certainly breathtakingly beautiful to watch a film like this if you are used to black-and-white. But in terms of the plot, it makes me somewhat sad they fell for cheap tear-jerk material like Harlan's work. There is really nothing special at all about the writing. I did not enjoy the watch. It moved slowly and steadily, but there was absolutely nothing memorable about it. Thumbs down. Definitely a case of style over substance.
Review of Die goldene Stadt
