User Reviews

"Schwarzfahrer" is a Berlin-set 1993 Academy Award winning short film by Pepe Danquart. The two central characters are played by Senta Moira and Paul outlaw. Neither of the two (or anybody else in the cast) have had a great or very prolific acting career before or after their work here, but here and there they have appeared as actors again, Moira also as a dubbing actor. By the way she turns 90 this year, but I am not entirely sure if she is still alive. Director Pepe Danquart just turned 60 and has been busier and directed a couple films and also quite a few documentaries in the last 20 years.

Do not be confused by the strange image on the film's IMDb title page. Basically, during the whole movie we see an old woman sitting next to a Black man in a streetcar. First she complains randomly, then she gets more specific and tells one racist insult after the other, also against Turks and Italians. But the man gets his revenge. And it's actually an uplifting message that none of the other passengers intervened. Pay attention to how the people's reaction towards the Black man differed depending on their age. The old woman keeps flaming, another old man nods in support. The people around 30 or 40 do not even care and the little boy smiles nicely at the Black man. Also this film includes quite a few references towards skin color. The title is an obvious play on words, but also pay attention to how this movie was made in black & white.

I recommend watching these 12 minutes. The ending will put a smile on your face and it's quite some irony how the most absurd comment she made when the officer comes to check her ticket is also the only true one. This is a bit like a joke told in motion picture form. And finally there is also some good music included here. Give it a chance. You will not regret it.

This is a fascinating little short film from Germany, but you might need some background information to understand exactly what happens. Instead of buying the ticket on the tram or bus, in many European countries you buy it ahead of time and you don't need to show it upon entering. Instead, it's on the honor system and if a conductor happens to walk through asking everyone to show their tickets, you must show it or face a very hefty fine. They don't do it that way here in the States, but it's common in countries like the UK and Germany.

Here, a Black man gets on the tram and asks an older lady if the seat next to her is taken. It isn't but she tells him to find another seat. There aren't others, so he takes that seat. Upon sitting, this lady begins to talk and talk and talk about how she hates foreigners and begins spouting all kinds of stereotypes about Blacks and Turks. In essence, she sounds like a charter member of the Hitler fan club! However, in a wonderful twist at the end, the man deals with this in a very simple and effective manner.

What's interesting is that this film was made in Berlin and seeing all these people on the tram say and do almost nothing is fascinating and perhaps says a lot about human nature. The film is well constructed and clever and I hope to see more from the people who made it. The film deservedly received an Oscar and is a must-see for short film fans.

I found this short on the Short Magazine DVD issue number one called Invention. I must say that it's an interesting choice for a collection of that name. It has a rather inventive storyline, ultimately, but it's not particularly that inventive cinematically.

It's another short that operates as a sort of visual narrative joke. A young black man rides on a German bus while an older racist woman starts laying in the bigot commentary so harshly that the passengers have no choice but to sit around and listen to her silently. Eventually the black rider (Schwartzfahrer) exacts his deft revenge in a small and clever way.

The short itself could use some paring down, though. It's roughly 12 minutes long and could easily be about 7 or even 5. It introduces at great length one character that doesn't matter, and seems to spend unnecessary time introducing other characters as well. Having multiple characters unable to stand up against the woman's racism is fine, but they don't all have to have some history. For the most part, the film's timing is off enough that it works against its comedic timing. I think it could have used a little reworking.

However, I understand more people care about the story than they do the craftmanship, and it is a good story. Ultimately it's a satisfying movie for what it is.

--PolarisDiB

This short won the Academy Award for Short Film, Live Action. There will be spoilers ahead:

I have no intention of spoiling the ending of this magnificent short film, but I will talk about it in more or less general terms. It begins with some shots of various people on a typical day-a man trying to start a motor scooter, a woman and her son, two young men listening to music and talking and so on.

A tram pulls up and various of these people start to board. One of the young men, who is the "black rider" referred to in the title, gets on the tram before it starts moving, spots an open seat and asks if it's available. Getting silence and a sullen look from the elderly woman next to the open seat, he sits down.

Soon, the woman begins complaining, first in general terms about the decay of society at large and then more specific (not to mention grossly abusive and offensive) comments on the influx of foreigners (i.e., dark-skinned people). The young man remains passive and, at first, almost no one on board takes notice and the woman gets bolder.

Though people obviously become more visibly uncomfortable as her remarks grow coarser and more pointed, apart from one young man from somewhere like Morocco or Algeria, no one says anything to her. She then begins to insult the young man personally.

All of this builds to a singularly appropriate and fittingly hilarious ending. Karma has never looked so wonderful. This short has been on DVD and deserves to be seen and enjoyed. Most highly recommended.

Almost thirty years have gone by since this 12-minute German award-winner was made, and much has happened in the interval to alter the consensus about Diversity as an unequivocally Good Thing. So this film may soon be nothing more than an interesting historical curio.

The story is told in a neat, economical way, using a city tram as a microcosm of a sensible, orderly society. An elderly white woman reluctantly allows a young black man to sit beside her, but soon finds a pretext for grumbling about the culture-clash between races.

Most improbably, the young black virtuously ignores her comments, as though he's in church, while the other passengers show a range of reactions, all of them passive. Soon the inspector comes round, and (again) most improbably, the young black brings out his ticket, smartly and promptly, like teacher's pet. When the old lady brings out hers, he suddenly snatches it and eats it - thus confirming every prejudice the woman has displayed!

The title 'Schwarzfahrer' (Black Rider) is a pun on the German term for someone travelling without a ticket - a role into which the old woman has suddenly found herself thrust, and I notice that most commentators on this page feel that it serves her right too. Meanwhile (unless I am wronging him) the black actor's name, Paul Outlaw, sounds to me distinctly made-up, for reasons that might not have much to do with pure virtue.

portrait of city. beautiful photography. example of racism. self importance of an old lady. the revenge. a short film who has the gift to be seductive at each level. for story, for cinematography, for the faces and gestures of characters, for the wise use of stereotypes and for the admirable final solution. because, it seems so predictable. and it is not. because all characters are familiar. the words of lady, the smile of boy, the attitude of mother, the fear of motorcyclist, the young man listening music. and, in the entire picture, a drop of surprise seems change everything. because, after a long hate speech, the expectation has its best prize.