Gotthard (2016)

 

 

 

 

Gotthard – a mini-series in two parts – is a historical drama about the first railway tunnel under the Gotthard Pass that was constructed towards the end of the 19th century. 

 

It is a co-production of three television networks in three countries:

 

** ORF - Austria

** ZDF – Germany

** SRF – Switzerland

 

The mini-series - described by the three networks as “the television event of the year” - was shown on television in all three countries and released on DVD in December 2016. 

 

Here is some basic information about it:

 

** Directed by Urs Egger

** Written by Stefan Dähnert, Niklaus Hilber and Patrick Tönz

** Musical score composed by Fabian Römer

** Languages: German and Italian

** Subtitles: German (no English subtitles)

** Run time: 2 x 90 minutes = 180 minutes

 

The cast includes the following:

 

** Maxim Mehmet as Max – a German engineer

** Pasquale Alearde as Tommaso – an Italian tunnel worker

** Miriam Stein as Anna – a Swiss inn-keeper

** Carlos Leal as Louis Favre (1826-1879) – a Swiss engineer

** Pierre Siegenthaler as Alfred Escher (1819-1882) – a Swiss politician and railway pioneer

 

As stated above, Gotthard is a historical drama. A fictional story is placed in a historical context.

 

In this case, the context is Switzerland towards the end of the 19th century.

 

Construction of the railway tunnel begins in 1872. The north gate is at Göschenen, while the south gate is at Airolo.

 

The two teams meet each other in 1880. The work is completed during 1881. The official opening takes place in 1882.

 

The historical drama begins in 1873 when Max and Tommaso arrive at Göschenen (the north gate).

 

The work on the tunnel has already begun. Max and Tommaso are both looking for work. They need a place to stay. They end up sharing a room at the inn that is run by Anna.

 

Max, Tommaso, and Anna – the three main characters of the story - are fictional characters, who were invented in order to give us (the audience) a chance to identify with the general historical events.

 

Louis Favre and Alfred Escher are real historical persons, but they only play a minor role in the historical drama.

 

As stated above, the drama is divided into two parts. The first part covers events 1873-1875, while the second part covers events 1878-1880.

 

The tunnel is ca. 15 km long. Digging though the mountain was a huge undertaking.

 

When the tunnel opened in 1882, it was the longest tunnel in the world. The people behind the historical drama want to tell us the story of this project. To a large degree they succeed in this endeavour.

 

There are three groups of people in the drama and they come from three different places:

 

(1) The people who make the decisions, the investors and the politicians, are from Switzerland. Alfred Escher is one of them.

 

(2) The people who make the calculations, the engineers, are from Germany. Max is one of them.

 

(3) The people who do the actual work, the tunnel diggers, are from Italy. Tommaso is one of them.

 

The man in charge of the project is the Swiss engineer Louis Favre, who won the contract, because he offered a timetable that was shorter and a budget that was lower than the closest rival.

 

Unfortunately, his timetable and his budget are quite unrealistic. This is why the project runs into trouble several times.

 

The progress is too slow and the money is running out too fast.

 

Financial problems are not the only difficulty. Another problem is the question of health and safety for the workers inside the tunnel.

 

On one occasion, water rushes in from above and the ceiling of the tunnel collapses. Some workers are killed, while others are injured.

 

When the workers are deep inside the mountain, four or five km from the entrance, the quality of the air in the tunnel is not good. They need oxygen.

 

The health of the workers is seriously undermined when they are infected by hookworms. By 1875, the workers have had enough. They begin a strike, demanding better working conditions in the tunnel.

 

But management refuses to listen to them. The Swiss army is called in, and the strike is crushed when soldiers attack the strikers, killing four and wounding thirteen.

 

Favre does not live long enough to see the project completed. He dies in 1879, shortly before the two sides meet each other in 1880. He has a heart attack while visiting the tunnel.

 

In 1880, when the two sides meet each other, a picture of Favre is passed from team north to team south. In this way, he is the first man to pass through the tunnel.

 

This is a historical drama. While the general story is true, it is not a documentary film. 

 

It is a dramatized version of events, and the three main characters are fictional characters which were invented to give the story a human dimension.

 

What do reviewers say about the drama?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 64 per cent.

 

On Amazon Germany there are at the moment 74 ratings of this product, including 20 with reviews.

 

The average rating is 4.5 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 90 percent.

 

As you can see, the ratings are quite good.

 

I understand the positive reviews. This is, in many ways, a good drama. But it is not great. I understand why the ratings do not go all the way to the top.

 

There is too much focus on the personal relations between the three fictional characters and not enough focus on the work in the tunnel.

 

The story is colourful and lively - there is even a bar room brawl (like an old western) - and there are some wonderful images of the Swiss mountains, but the priorities of the drama are not quite right.

 

There is too much personal drama and not enough focus on the problems connected with the tunnel, which is after all the main topic. Without the tunnel there would not be any story at all.

 

Sometimes, while watching this drama, I have the feeling that the tunnel project is merely an excuse for inventing the love triangle between Max, Tommaso and Anna.

 

When I look at the pros and the cons, I think this drama deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent).

 

PS # 1. The bonus material on the DVD includes a feature about the history of the tunnel (50 minutes) and a feature about the making of Gotthard (25 minutes).

 

PS # 2. The website of the Swiss television network SRF has a special section where you can find additional information about the tunnel.

 

*****

The Gotthard Tunnel

Workers in Airolo

The south gate

(1880)

 

*****

 

 

Eine unerhörte Frau (2016)

 

 

 

 

Eine unerhörte Frau is a German historical drama - based on a true story - which premiered at the Munich Film Festival in 2016.

 

This is the story of a mother whose daughter was sick. But apart from the mother, no one believed her. No one would listen.

 

Members of the medical establishment said the daughter was merely pretending and that the mother was just overly concerned. They were wrong!

 

Here is some basic information about this drama:

 

** Producer: Nils Dünker

** Director: Hans Steinbichler

** Screenplay written by Christian Lex & Angelika Schwarzhuber

** Based on the book Eine unerhörte Frau: Nicht gehört – fast zerstört by Angelika Nachtmann (2016)

** Language: German

** Subtitles: English

** Shown on German television (ZDF) in 2017

** Released on DVD in 2017

** Run time: 90 minutes

 

The cast includes the following:

 

** Rosalie Thomass as Johanna “Hanni” Schwaiger – the mother

** Florian Karlheim as Josef “Sepp” Schwaiger – the father

** Romy Butz as Magdalena Schwaiger – the daughter

 

** Gisela Schneeberger as Erni Schwaiger – Sepp’s mother

** Gundi Ellert as Barbara – Hanni’s mother

** Norman Hacker as Professor Bergman – an American doctor

 

** Sylvana Krappatsch as Dr Espach – an endocrinologist

** Annette Paulmann as Ms Hecht – a school teacher

** Jenni Ringswandl as young Hanni (12 years old)

 

Since this drama is based on a true story, the basic facts are part of the public record. They are not a secret. This is why I feel free to mention some of them here.

 

While this drama is based on a true story, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Not everything happened exactly as portrayed here.

 

Some details may have been altered, added or excluded for dramatic reasons or practical purposes. But the basic story is true.

 

This drama covers a period of 25 years. The time frame runs from 1980 to 2005. There are three timelines:

 

# 1. A court case that takes place in 2005 –

When Hanni is 37

# 2. A court case that takes place in 1980 –

When Hanni is 12

# 3. Events leading up to the court case -

The years 1995-2005

 

Most of this story is set in Bavaria in the south of Germany. The soundtrack is German, but some characters speak this language with a heavy Bavarian accent. 

 

Fortunately, there are subtitles in English. If you cannot understand everything that is being said, you can read the subtitles.

 

The story begins with the end: the court case that takes place in 2005. Hanni is driving from the farm to Munich to attend the case in a court of law.

 

After this point, clips from the three timelines are mixed with each other. The story jumps back and forth between the three timelines.

 

At first, this is a bit confusing. At first, you may not understand how events in one timeline are connected with events in another timeline.

 

But after a while you will find out what is going on and you will understand that each flashback comes at the exact moment when Hanni is reminded about the past by something that is happening right now.

 

When you get to the end of the drama, you will see that everything makes sense.

 

Hanni and Sepp are Bavarian farmers. They already have two boys. In 1995, they have a third child, a daughter, whose name is Magdalena.

 

At first, everything seems fine, but after a few years, Magdalene starts to complain about her health: she has headaches, she vomits, and she is having trouble with her eyesight.

 

Hanni takes her daughter to the local hospital where a doctor looks at Magdalena. Hanni is concerned, but the doctor is not. He says: 

 

** This is not serious

** Just go home

** This is something that will pass

** It does not mean anything

 

As Magdalena’s troubles get worse, Hanni is more and more worried about her daughter, but no one wants to listen to her.

 

Frustrated, Hanni visits the local library where she borrows several textbooks about medical problems.

 

She is a farmer’s wife who has almost no education. But in spite of this handicap, the pushes on.

 

She focuses so much on Magdalena and her troubles, that she is neglecting the rest of her family: her husband Sepp and the two boys.

 

Armed with information she has found in the medical textbooks, Hanni returns to the doctor and tells her that she wants her to do an MRI scan of Magdalena. 

 

The doctor refuses. She is offended and says: are you trying to tell me how to do my job?

 

Hanni does not give up. She keeps on pushing, until she finally finds a doctor who is ready to listen to her. Dr Espach. This is a breakthrough.

 

But now when she knows what the problem is (or at least what it seems to be) there is a new question: is it too late? Magdalena has a tumor. If nothing is done, it is going to kill her. Is it too late?

 

The story continues and it ends right where it began: in a court of law.

 

Hanni is suing the state of Bavaria for dereliction of duty. She claims the authorities neglected to take proper care of Magdalena.

 

This case is the story of one woman, a farmer’s wife, against the state of Bavaria. This is why it has been compared to the story of Erin Brockowich in the US.

 

Hanni is right. And the state of Bavaria was wrong. But will the court agree? Will the judges be able to see her point of view?

 

Hanni is on a one-woman crusade defending her daughter’s right to life. But she is up against the power of the state. Will she get justice?

 

What do reviewers say about this drama?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 73 per cent.

 

On Amazon Germany there are at the moment 22 ratings of this product, including 15 with reviews.

 

The average rating is five stars, which corresponds to a rating of 100 percent.

 

In my opinion, the rating on IMDb is too low, while the rating on Amazon is very appropriate.

 

Why do I say this?

 

I have three reasons:

 

# 1. The script is well-written and the actors play their roles well.

# 2. The story is captivating, dramatic and deeply emotional.

# 3. The drama is based on a true story.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

Having said this, I must add that there are some minor flaws in this drama. There are some scenes which I do not like. Let me explain:

 

# 1. The opening scene shows Hanni driving from the farm to the courthouse in Munich. While driving, she is singing a song. It is a crazy song. She does not sing very well. There is nothing like it anywhere in the drama.

 

When I see this scene, I have to ask: why did the director decide to open the drama with a scene that may cause viewers to stop watching?

 

It is fine that Hanni is driving from the farm to the courthouse. I have no problem with that.

 

But why does she have to sing a crazy song while she is driving? Whoever told Rosalie Thomass to sing like this made a poor decision.

 

# 2. In the middle of the drama, Hanni tries to make a phone call to a hospital in the US. Obviously, the person in New York speaks English, but Hanni does not.

 

She tries to speak German, but it does not work. The person in New York must think that a crazy person is calling. She says “Please try to call back later” and hangs up. The call fails.

 

I do not understand why Hanni does this. Her two boys are sitting next to her. Why not ask them for help? They probably know more English than their mother.

 

Why does Hanni not ask someone for help? Dr Espach had been helpful. Why not ask her to make the call?

 

When the call fails, Hanni says: 

 

“I have to go to New York.” 

 

This is a drastic conclusion to make after one failed phone call.

 

# 3. When Hanni gets to New York, she learns that Dr Bergman is very busy. She cannot just walk in and get an appointment with him. She is sitting in the reception wondering what to do.

 

Suddenly, the doctor enters the room. Hanni jumps up and rushes towards him. In one hand she has an orange, in the other a knife. She wants to demonstrate how to make the operation.

 

But security guards do not know this. They only see a person rushing towards the doctor with a knife in her hand. They must think she wants to attack him with the knife.

 

How can Hanni act in this way? How can she not know that her action might be misunderstood? Fortunately, the doctor is not scared. He tells the security guards to let the woman approach him and she can deliver her message.

 

Once again there is a language problem, but this time it is solved, because the American doctor speaks German. What a miracle!

 

I wonder if this scene is authentic or if it is the product of the director’s vivid imagination. Whatever the case, I have to say I do not like the way this scene is done. It could and should have been done in another way.

 

As you can see, there are some flaws in this drama, but I have decided to regard them as minor, and they will not influence my rating of the product.

 

Regardless of these minor flaws, I still think this drama deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

PS # 1. The official English title of this drama The Unheard Woman is not very good. A better title would be: No One Would Listen.

PS # 2. The names used in the drama have been changed, perhaps for legal reasons.

 

In the drama, the mother is called Hanni Schwaiger. Her real name is Angelika Nachtmann.

 

In the drama, the daughter is called Magdalena. Her real name is Katharina.

 

The drama is based on notes which Angelika Nachtmann made available to producer Nils Dünker. These notes were later turned into the book which was published in 2016.

 

PS # 3. On Amazon one reviewer of the drama says something like this:

“I do not understand why scenes from the court case in 1980 are included. I do not understand what this old court case has to do with the main story about Hanni and Magdalena.”

I wonder if this reviewer has actually watched the drama. If you have, you will know that there is a close connection between the old court case from 1980 and the main story.

 

In the old court case from 1980, Hanni's mother did not believe that Hanni was telling the truth. This fact hurt her even more than the attack that she had suffered.

 

When Magdalena began to complain about medical problems, Hanni did not want to make the same mistake as her mother had made.

 

She believed, trusted and supported her daughter in every possible way.

 

*****

 Eine unerhörte Frau: 

Nicht gehört – fast zerstört

by Angelika Nachtmann

(2016)

 

*****

On the right = Angelika Nachtmann 

On the left = Angelika's daughter Katharina

In the middle = Katharina's son Florian

This photo was taken in 2018

when Florian was two years old

*****