Jeder stirbt für sich allein (1970 miniseries)

*Jeder stirbt für sich allein*
Jeder stirbt für sich allein
	Part 2: Else Grube-Deister (Anna Quangel) and; Erwin Geschonneck (Otto Quangel)
Genre	Political drama
Based on	Every Man Dies Alone; by Hans Fallada
Screenplay by	Klaus Jörn; Hans-Joachim Kasprzik
Directed by	Hans-Joachim Kasprzik
Starring	Erwin Geschonneck
Theme music composer	Günter Hauk
Country of origin	East Germany
Original language	German
No. of episodes	3
Production
Producer	Adolf Fischer
Cinematography	Lothar Gerber
Running time	314 minutes (total)
Production company	DEFA
Original release
Release	September 12 –; September 20, 1970

Jeder stirbt für sich allein (1970) is a German television miniseries produced by DEFA in the former German Democratic Republic. The story was adapted from the 1947 Hans Fallada novel, Every Man Dies Alone, known in the UK as Alone in Berlin. It was directed by Hans-Joachim Kasprzik and starred Erwin Geschonneck.

Background

The three-part miniseries was directed by Hans-Joachim Kasprzik, who also co-wrote the screenplay. It stars Erwin Geschonneck and Else Grube-Deister as Otto and Anna Quangel.^[1]^[2] It is based on a true story, that of Otto and Elise Hampel, a working class couple in wartime Berlin who began a postcard campaign to resist the Nazis and the Third Reich and were arrested, tried before the Volksgerichtshof and executed at Plötzensee Prison.

Synopsis

The story takes place in Berlin in 1940, where Otto Quangel is a toolmaker at a factory.^[2] His wife, Anna, is a homemaker. Though their son is fighting on the front, they are apolitical and Otto is not a member of any political party. Otto and Anna learn that their son has fallen "like a hero" in France and are devastated. In addition, a Jewish neighbor meets a violent death.^[3] In his grief and horror, Otto becomes politicized and decides to take action against the Nazis,^[1]^[3] hoping to foment a mass rebellion against Hitler. Though nothing comes of their efforts, the Quangels remain proud of what they've done; it enabled them to retain their faith in humanity.^[2] They are arrested, separated, tried, sentenced and executed.^[2]

Reception

The kabel eins film lexicon calls the miniseries, "A star-studded, evocative, solid film that centers on the anti-fascist resistance struggle of a working class couple."

Cast (partial list)

Erwin Geschonneck as Otto Quangel
Else Grube-Deister as Anna Quangel
Wolfgang Kieling as Kommissar Escherich
Dieter Franke as Gruppenführer Prall
Fred Düren as Emil Borkhausen
Fred Delmare as Enno Kluge
Helga Göring as Eva Kluge
Erika Dunkelmann as Hete Häberle
Heinz Scholz as "der alte" Persicke
Traudi Harprecht

References

^ ^a ^b "Jeder stirbt für sich allein" Ost-Film. Retrieved March 7, 2012 (in German)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Jeder stirbt für sich allein 1969/70" Archived 2011-10-10 at the Wayback Machine kabel eins Lexicon. Retrieved March 7, 2012 (in German)
^ ^a ^b "Jeder stirbt für sich allein" Prisma: Ihr TV-Guide, Prisma Verlag. Retrieved March 8, 2012 (in German)

External links

[ost-1] "Jeder stirbt für sich allein" Ost-Film. Retrieved March 7, 2012 (in German)

[kabel1-2] "Jeder stirbt für sich allein 1969/70" Archived 2011-10-10 at the Wayback Machine kabel eins Lexicon. Retrieved March 7, 2012 (in German)

[prisma-3] "Jeder stirbt für sich allein" Prisma: Ihr TV-Guide, Prisma Verlag. Retrieved March 8, 2012 (in German)

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