Hilde (2009)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Memorable, crazy movie

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

"Hilde" is a German movie from 2009. It runs for over 2 hours and is among the most known works by director Kai Wessel and writer Maria von Heland. The movie received a good deal of awards attention at the German Film Awards back then, even if it was just in the visual categories. Actually, it lost all four categories to Haneke's Oscar-nominated "Das weiße Band". This film we have here is the most known Hildegard Knef biopic. Knef was among Germany's most known singers, actors and entertainers from the 20th century. The title character is played by Heike Makatsch (one of her career-defining turns), still one of Germany's most known stars abroad even if I cannot really see why. Downton Abbey fans will see a familiar face playing one of the central male characters, which is a bit surprising as it's a German production of course. But I guess they wanted to give the movie some international flair this way. Anyway, German film buffs will also recognize many other actors here, such as Bleibtreu, Pütter, Gwisdek, Zischler or Groth. The late musician Roger Cicero appears in it as well.I think overall it was a decent watch. There were some weaknesses that were slightly expected because the movie tries to be too significant for its own good at times and the talent did not match the ambition there. This becomes especially visible when politics are referenced. Of course, Knef lived during the days of World War II and the Berlin Wall, but the ways in which they rushed it in felt really clumsy and just included for the sake of it. It was not effective. Makatsch does an okay job overall, not too bad, but not great either and I think she was a good choice for the main character, also physically. The music is fine too if you like Knef as an artist and it was a really good decision to go out with her most known work at the very end. This film came out not much later after Cotillard won her Oscar for playing Edith Piaf and maybe you could see Knew as the German Piaf in terms of her approach to life and music and also in terms of her style, so I think it may be possible that this French film's success inspired the crew to make this biopic we have here.Anyway, back to this movie here: The film is at its best when it does not try to be over-the-top dramatic or relevant and just focuses on Knef's personal and professional life. Those scenes were sometimes really good. But then there are also letdowns on many occasions again, such as the quotes thrown in there randomly. Yes they may come from Knew herself, but this inclusion just wasn't working at all. The film is based on Knef's autobiography by the way and this makes it also worth seeing. You will certainly learn a lot about her life if you decide to give it a go. It's your choice if you want to. Final side-note: The late Knef would have turned 91 next week and I really wonder if she would have liked this movie. I did, but not with too much enthusiasm. I give it a cautious thumbs-up, but I believe it could easily have been under 2 hours without losing any quality if they had done without some of the less significant scenes.

I saw "Hilde" while I was visiting Cologne and I was very impressed by the film. "Hilde" portrays Hildegard Knef's career from her beginnings as a starlet at the UFA film studios in Berlin during World War II to 1965, the start of her career as a singer of chansons. Heike Makatsch received glowing reviews for her performance as Hildegard Knef, and the reviews are very well deserved. Her acting is admirable and her renditions of Knef's songs are remarkable, full of the flavor of Knef's voice and personality."Hilde" is a long film but it is engrossing and rich in detail. While revealing how Knef became one of Germany's greatest stars, it also reveals a great deal about what it was like to live in her native country in the last days of the War, the post-War years and the Cold War, showing the defense of Berlin against the invading Russians, life in the city while it was under the control of the American and Allied armed forces, and how citizens of West Berlin were affected by the building of the Wall in 1961. The production shows unrestrainedly how the city changes from barricades to bombed ruins to a Modern architectured metropolis divided by the Wall. The depictions of England and Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s are also vivid, despite being shot elsewhere (in South Africa, I believe).Other members of the cast are also outstanding. Dan Stevens is moving as Hildegard Knef's second husband, British actor David Cameron, and he spends most of the film speaking German confidently. When he first appeared and started speaking in English I was knocked out by his plummy RADA accent. I don't know if the real David Cameron spoke that way but it's appropriate for the period. (By the way, the current leader of the Conservative Party here in the UK is named David Cameron). Trystan Wyn Puetter is affecting as Knef's first husband, Kurt Hirsch, a Jewish Czech who became an American army officer after emigrating to the States. Roger Cicero is excellent in his acting debut. His performance is as natural as his singing and piano playing.However, the film is weakened by the scenes that take place in Hollywood. The sequences showing Knef's struggles with the American studios are unconvincing and thin. The portrayal of David O. Selznick is too much a stereotype of the old type Hollywood producer, complete with constantly ringing phones, a roving eye and a slight Lower East Side accent. "Hilde" takes a bold approach by concentrating on the development of Knef as a actress and the birth of her career as a singer. Yet the film skips over Knef's Broadway triumph in 1955 as the leading lady in the Cole Porter musical "Silk Stockings": it is only alluded to in a newspaper headline. The film dramatises Knef's stress about appearing in the West Berlin concert halls as a singer by several scenes of her lying prone on a table, trying to deal with her nerves- I would have liked to see how Knef felt about singing in English live to American audiences. I would have liked to know more about her first marriage to Hirsch, who had lost half of his relatives during the Holocaust. I would also liked to know more about Knef's first lover, Reich film official Ewald von Demandowsky. The movie indicates that the Russians execute him after he is taken prisoner, but it isn't clear why or when this takes place. I had to ask some of my friends about what happened to him. Apparently, there is a large controversy about whether Knef saw von Demandowsky after the German surrender.Overall, the film has a great deal to offer fans of Knef and people who are curious to know more about her and what made her so popular in Germany and around the world. I wish more time was spent on her American career, and the Hollywood scenes were better scripted.

Hildegard Knef (1925–2002) was many things – Broadway star, songstress, screen diva, international icon and bestselling author. In this compelling biography Heike Makatsch gives a knockout performance as Knef, who walked out of the rubble of post-war Berlin and embarked on a career so amazing it could only be true. Infamous for appearing in the first nude scene in German cinema (in "Die Sünderin", 1951) and called 'the best singer without a voice' by Ella Fitzgerald, Knef's adventures in Hollywood, on Broadway and back home in her beloved Germany is the stuff of showbiz legend.So reads the blurb for the 2009 Audi German Film Festival and about 200 to 300 of us were lucky enough last night to attend 1 of 2 screenings in Melbourne of the "version originale" as the French would say.. original German language with English sub titles. Before the 8.15pm performance the cinema foyer was fairly buzzing and alive with a very good vibe as keen German film fans, some German by birth queued up for the 8:15pm session.This is a bio pic or is it a bio epic painted with a very broad and polished brush starting out where we find Hilde caught up in WW2 as a budding actress in war torn Berlin. It's here she meets characters like her early directors and the lady from the acting school who are in her life for many years to come. From the early 1940s the film takes us through her life and career, relationships, a time in Hollywood for the next 40 years up until about 1970. At the close of the film other later facets and highlights of Hilde's life are covered by text before the closing credits.Hers is a very full and interesting life and surely lead actress Heike Makatash was born to play this role. Without the need to physically transform like Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose, Heike is truly luminous here. I was going to say initially Heike was a little like Angelina Jolie physically except with a lot more warmth and perhaps a stronger looking body (and one to die in some scenes) But as one comment here in the boards states Heike looks very much like Jeri Ryan http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005394/ whose around the same age and born in Munich.Production values and the quality of the screenplay here are first class. It's intelligent, well written and covers a multitude of themes. Too many perhaps to fully absorb in a single viewing. At 136 minutes it's not a short film and perhaps like a lot of modern films (Australia comes to mind) a short intermission would have help. Perhaps the point for such a break would have been at the conclusion of WW2.But truly we have a top quality performance here and film making, sets and locations and recreations of the period of a very high degree and quality. Not being familiar with the real Hilde it's difficult to say how close Heike got so the question may remain was it the actress who appealed, the character she played or both. At this stage lets stay both. Once again whether Heike did the vocals I'm not sure. Mention should be made of her early male piano/vocal accompanist.. some very nice duo and solo work here.(Postscript - taking a quick look online after writing this review the resemblance to the real Hilde is remarkable. The real Hildes vocals seem somewhat more husky than in the film. The real Hilde was a stunning beauty in some of the black and white stillshots I found online)Digressing France have done Piaf (1916-1953), German have done Hilde proud (1925-2002). Can someone in France please do the same for the late great Yvonne Printemps (1894-1977) to complete the trio. To quote the NY (New York) mag "Printemps was one of France's great vocal originals, who flourished in the music hall, operetta, film, and, apparently, the bedroom during the first half of the last century. Her singular voice, seductive presence, piquant style, and sheer joy of performing can still be relished on CD reissues and in several movies—watch Les Trois Valses of 1938 and try to resist her". Hear, hear!French actress Catherine Frot would be my pick to perhaps play Printemps in her 50s.Meantime I hope Hilde gets a wide distribution so the good work of Heike, the other actors and the production team can be fully appreciated by a wider audience for this flagship German film production.