One interesting recurring item in this East German drama/comedy is the mummified black knight who is on display in the rural tavern. This is not just a movie fiction, but very probably the real Christian Friedrich von Kahlbutz, died 1702, "who is today most famous because of the state of preservation of his body; no noticeable mummification process was used upon his death. Today the mummified corpse is a tourist attraction" (Wikipedia).
The film starts with the burial of Anton, and then flashes back to his life, from WW2 (in the African desert) to his way home, with a little help by the Red Army, and most of all his career from car/tractor mechanic to economic criminal, as well as highly welcome parts obtainer for the industry.
Anton "the magician" wins fame by bringing car and tractor wrecks, of which there were plenty after the war, back to usable shape. And he wins quite some financial rewards, which he does not (cannot) register for the taxes. The money he secures "abroad", but after the building of the Berlin Wall he can't get to it, gets denounced, judged and jailed. However, even in jail he proves his efficient ways of obtaining needed parts, so his career continues (even with international action in Hungary) after he is released. One might say he's a "black knight" in the sense of doing welcome deeds with not-so-welcome methods.
The story has much more, but I'd better not give so much away... I found it very worth watching. One memorable scene deals with the demolition of a 1970s Chevrolet Impala. An interesting side aspect is also the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, a protestant "sect" to which Anton's wife belongs, "stricter than the Catholic".
This movie was distributed in Germany with SuperIllu magazine of May 8, 2008. I enjoyed it and the surprises it offered, and found it well worth the Euro 2.99 it cost me. 8/10.
The film starts with the burial of Anton, and then flashes back to his life, from WW2 (in the African desert) to his way home, with a little help by the Red Army, and most of all his career from car/tractor mechanic to economic criminal, as well as highly welcome parts obtainer for the industry.
Anton "the magician" wins fame by bringing car and tractor wrecks, of which there were plenty after the war, back to usable shape. And he wins quite some financial rewards, which he does not (cannot) register for the taxes. The money he secures "abroad", but after the building of the Berlin Wall he can't get to it, gets denounced, judged and jailed. However, even in jail he proves his efficient ways of obtaining needed parts, so his career continues (even with international action in Hungary) after he is released. One might say he's a "black knight" in the sense of doing welcome deeds with not-so-welcome methods.
The story has much more, but I'd better not give so much away... I found it very worth watching. One memorable scene deals with the demolition of a 1970s Chevrolet Impala. An interesting side aspect is also the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, a protestant "sect" to which Anton's wife belongs, "stricter than the Catholic".
This movie was distributed in Germany with SuperIllu magazine of May 8, 2008. I enjoyed it and the surprises it offered, and found it well worth the Euro 2.99 it cost me. 8/10.
