Whilst this documentary may have been made for propaganda purposes, it is essentially an explanation of the role of the forest in German history. It is therefore of interest despite having been made when it was (and the Fascist influence is less marked than in other German documentaries of the time). The English title, Enchanted Forest, is misleading: it should be The Eternal or Everlasting Forest.
The film starts with a long introduction of forest and woodland scenes throughout the year. There are then scenes of how people lived in the forests in prehistoric times. The Romans then arrive and the local tribes have to combine to defeat them. After the Romans have left, the Norsemen arrive in a magnificent (replica) long-ship. Later there are scenes depicting German troops going to fight in the Crusades. There are also scenes of bucolic peasants at work and play (including lots of blonde young girls in dirndl skirts dancing round "maybaums"). In the Middle Ages the knights and landowners start to clear the forests to improve the hunting. The people rebel and there are some splendid action scenes, not least with thunderstorms inter-cut with the battles. Forests are replanted, and there is some clever inter-cutting of serried ranks of growing trees fading into serried ranks of soldiery (that was clear propaganda!) The final scenes, set just before the industrial revolution, show the people working at forest industries, including metal working, woodwork and carving, not least for ecclesiastical purposes, and logging. The pictures of logs being floated downstream with men jumping from log to log, show where the Canadian logging industry learnt its techniques! All the scenes of forest life and industry were extremely well recreated, and provided one is aware of the propaganda elements, the history is worth the knowing.
The film starts with a long introduction of forest and woodland scenes throughout the year. There are then scenes of how people lived in the forests in prehistoric times. The Romans then arrive and the local tribes have to combine to defeat them. After the Romans have left, the Norsemen arrive in a magnificent (replica) long-ship. Later there are scenes depicting German troops going to fight in the Crusades. There are also scenes of bucolic peasants at work and play (including lots of blonde young girls in dirndl skirts dancing round "maybaums"). In the Middle Ages the knights and landowners start to clear the forests to improve the hunting. The people rebel and there are some splendid action scenes, not least with thunderstorms inter-cut with the battles. Forests are replanted, and there is some clever inter-cutting of serried ranks of growing trees fading into serried ranks of soldiery (that was clear propaganda!) The final scenes, set just before the industrial revolution, show the people working at forest industries, including metal working, woodwork and carving, not least for ecclesiastical purposes, and logging. The pictures of logs being floated downstream with men jumping from log to log, show where the Canadian logging industry learnt its techniques! All the scenes of forest life and industry were extremely well recreated, and provided one is aware of the propaganda elements, the history is worth the knowing.
