Die Heimkehr is a historical drama which premiered on German television (ARD) in 2012.
The story is set in the fictional German town of Gerbersau in 1905. The main character is a man who is looking for a place to call home.
Here is some basic information about this drama:
** English title: Coming Home
** Written and directed by Jo Baier
** Based on a novel by Hermann Hesse
** Musical score composed by Jörg Lemberg
** The song which plays at the end of the drama is composed and performed by Udo Lindenberg
** Soundtrack: German – no English subtitles!
** Released on DVD in 2012
** Run time: 88 minutes
The cast includes the following:
The first group
** August Zirner as August Staudenmayer – a self-made man
** Heike Makatsch as Katharina Entriss – a widow
** Annette Paulmann as Berta – Katharina’s sister-in-law
** Herbert Knaup as the mayor of Gerbersau
** Margarita Broich as Leonore – the mayor’s wife
The second group
** Oliver Stokowski as Hermann Mohrle – an artist
** Robert Spitz as Lukas Pfrommer – August’s cousin
** Katja Bürkle as Amalie Pfrommer – the wife of Lukas
** Vera Lippisch as Mrs Dreiss – a passenger on the train to Gerbersau
Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) is a famous German writer whose novel Die Heimkehr was first published in 1909. It is a fictional novel, which includes some auto-biographical elements.
While he was still alive, Hesse declared that he did not want any of his books to be turned into a movie. In his last will and testament, he instructed his heirs to make sure that this would never happen.
However, the ban was not absolute. In 1952, ten years before his death, he wrote a letter to his publisher telling him that if the publishing house was in danger of going bankrupt, he could and would accept a plan to turn one of his books into a movie.
In 1961, shortly before his death, he told his heirs that if they had serious economic problems, they could and should approve a plan to turn one of his books into a movie.
Die Heimkehr is the first Hermann Hesse novel that was turned into a movie in Germany. Other books (such as Steppenwolf) had been turned into a movie abroad.
The timing was significant.
The drama was shown on German television (and released on DVD) in 2012, in order to mark the 50 year-anniversary of his death in 1962. This is why his heirs decided to agree to the project.
As stated above, Die Heimkehr is a historical drama; it is a fictional story placed in a historical context.
The fictional story includes some auto-biographical elements and the historical context is a German town in 1905.
Gerbersau is a fictional town, which stands in for Calw, where Hermann Hesse was born in 1877, and which imitates the name Hirsau, a town located not far from Calw.
I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone. I am not going to say much about what happens in this drama. I will only tell you how the story begins.
August Staudenmayer was born in Gerbersau in 1850. In 1870, when he was 20 years old, he left town to go abroad. He went to the US and later to Russia. While he was abroad, he made a fortune, but he never found a place to call home.
In 1905, after more than thirty years abroad, he decides it is time to go back to the place where he was born. Perhaps he can find a home here?
Once he is there, he realizes that while a few things may have changed, many things are the same as before.
When the leaders of the town discovers that he is rich and considers investing some of his money in the town, he is given a warm welcome.
However, August does not like everything he sees in his old town: the widow Katharina is ostracized. The women hate her, while the men secretly adore her. August does not believe the wild rumours which are circulating about her.
Hermann, his old school friend, is an exception. He is an artist, so he does not follow conventions in every way. He tries to help and support Katharina when she is harassed by the mean people of the town.
August was born in Gerbersau, but he was never able to
fit in. He was always an outsider. In a way, he has been an outsider all his life. Now
he is back in the town where he was born. Can he fit in now? Or will he have to leave again?
This is how the story begins, and this is where my presentation ends.
If you want to know what happens to August and the people around him, you will have to watch the drama (or read the book) all the way to the end.
A word of warning: while the drama is based on the novel, not every detail is faithfully copied from novel to movie. Jo Baier, writer and director, altered and-or added some details when he adapted the novel to the screen.
What do reviewers say about this movie?
On IMDb it has a rating of 61 percent.
On Amazon Germany there are at the moment eleven ratings of this product; four with reviews.
The average rating is 4.5 stars which corresponds to a rating of 90 percent.
If you ask me, the rating on IMDb is too low, while the rating on Amazon is more appropriate.
Why?
Die Heimkehr is not an action movie. It is not a fast-paced drama with spectacular effects. It is a slow movie. But at the same time a very intense movie.
Perhaps it can be described as a psychological drama. If you are ready for this kind of movie, this is definitely something for you.
The script is well-written and the actors play their roles well. August Zirner was born in 1956. In 2011, when the movie was filmed, he was 55. As you can see, he had the perfect age to play a man who is 55 years old.
Heike Makatsch, who was born in 1971, does not say much in this movie, but she still manages to give a convincing portrait of the proud widow who is treated as a pariah.
I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).
PS # 1. As stated above, the novel on which this movie is based was first published in 1909. Since then, it has been reprinted several times.
A paperback version was re-issued in 2012 in order to tie in with the movie:
Die Heimkehr
PS # 2. The general musical score is composed by Jörg Lemberg.
The song The River which plays at the end of the movie is written and performed by the German musician Udo Lindenberg (who was born in 1946).
The lyrics are in English and the modern instruments used are not a perfect fit for a movie set in 1905. I would have preferred German lyrics and a Spanish guitar.
But the theme fits very well. Udo Lindenberg regards Hermann Hesse as an important inspiration. The song is available online (with lyrics).
PS # 3. Der Weg nach innen is a documentary film
about Hermann Hesse – about his life and his literary career – which was shown on
German television (ARD) immediately after Die Heimkehr. It is available online.
** Director: Andreas Christoph Schmidt
** Run time: 52 minutes
PS # 4. Heike Makatsch has appeared in several movies, including the biographical dramas Margarete Steiff (2005) and Dr Hope: Eine Frau gibt nicht auf (2009).
*****
Die Heimkehr
A novel
By Herman Hesse
(First published in 1909)
(Reprinted in 2012)
*****
The famous German author
Hermann Hesse
(1877-1962)
*****
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