There's a great deal to admire about Der Apfel ist ab, starting with Helmut Käutner's stylish direction (I clearly need to track down his other films), Igor Oberberg's distinctive cinematography, and Gerhard Ladner's art design (I couldn't help but be reminded of the interiors seen in John Farrow's The Big Clock - released abut half a year earlier - and wonder if those were an influence). Then there's the performance of Bobby Todd as sad sack Adam Schmitt, who simply can't avoid temptation, whether in the form of an apple or a woman. Todd is a slightly less prissy Clifton Webb, and he's huge fun to watch. I'd say this is a 'forgotten gem', but I suspect no one outside Germany even had the opportunity to forget it.
2 Reviews
A glimpse of paradise
mart-453 March 2007
A fascinating fantasy / fairy tale with music. The apple in question is a version of the one offered to Adam, but the story is modernized and really quite funny, proving that Helmut Käutner, who began his career as a member of a topical cabaret group, was not only the great master of cinematic poetry but also of sharp and witty allegory. The film has aged quite well, mainly because there's nothing to compare it to - that kind of film-making is long forgotten. The viewer doesn't even have to know too much about the situation in Germany back in 1948 - as always, Käutner distances himself from the present "reality" and shows us an alternative view of existence, which transcends time. The film cries out for colour, but that of course was quite impossible three years after the collapse of Germany and its blooming film industry.
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