FAMILY OPPENHEIM

Grigorij Rošal’s film adaption of Feuchtwanger’s novel “Die Geschwister Oppenheim” (The Oppenheim siblings) paints a psychologically- realistically differentiated picture of Germany shortly after the national socialistic seizure of power. Its focus lies on the fate of the Jewish upper middle class family Oppenheim. Instead of his murdered liberal form teacher, Grammar school pupil Berthold O. is presented with Nazi teacher Vogelsang, who cunningly gives him the homework to present a seminar paper on Teuton hero Hermann the Cheruskian. Berthold’s extremely intelligent but not at all hyper- German lecture provokes Vogelsang who demands an apology for this. Berthold chooses suicide over betrayal of his ideals. The writing furniture manufacturer Gustav O. has to hand over his factory to an “aric” competitor and finally emigrates to Switzerland. Famous surgeon professor Edgar O. is driven from his clinic by SA thugs. He returns short-term once more though, when a Nazi functionary of high rank wants to be operated only by him...