JOSEPH ROTH ON FILM

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Joseph Roth is sometimes described as being amongst the 'meistverfilmten Autoren', that is, authors whose work has most frequently been made into films. For those outside Germany and Austria, however, such a claim might seem odd, for the majority of the film adaptations of Roth's work were made only for German and Austrian television. None are currently available on commercial video format, and they are rebroadcast on television only occasionally. Additionally, the merits of some of the films are debatable, despite the undoubted skills of internationally renowned directors such as Bernhard Wicki and Axel Corti. Nevertheless, for admirers of Roth's books, the films are necessarily of some interest, especially given the fact that Roth, despite coming to regard the commercial cinema as a malign influence within society, was not averse to his work being filmed, and even began, in the late 1930s, to develop film scenarios with the Austrian director Leo Mittler (none of which were ever made).

FILMS AVAILABLE ON VIDEO / RECENTLY AVAILABLE ON VIDEO / LIKELY TO BE REPEATED ON TV(!) Radetzkymarsch (dir. Axel Corti, Austria 1994) Starring: Tilmann Guenther, Max von Sydow, Charlotte Rampling This two-part TV mini-series based on the novel had a complicated birth. Heralded as the most expensive Austrian film ever, it boasts international (and non-German speaking) stars Sydow and Rampling in key roles. Unsurprisingly it ran over budget. It was also dogged by controversy over the casting of Guenther, from Saxony, as Carl Joseph Trotta, who, according to some Austrians, should be played by a 'real' Austrian (despite Trotta descending from Slovenes and being brought up in Moravia, rather than Vienna). The absurd result of this was that not only Sydow's and Rampling's lines were dubbed into German, but Guenther's were too (by an Austrian with the approprate dialect). To cap it all, the film's venerable director Corti died before filming and editing were complete, which nearly resulted in the film being abandoned. Instead it was completed by Gernot Roll and broadcast (I seem to remember) in late 1994. Despite the chaos surrounding its making, I rather like the film. It beautifully and faithfully recreates the world of the novel, and its length seems appropriate, giving the characters space and time to develop. Max von Sydow looks perfect in his role as the Bezirkshauptmann. [This account is based on my memory of the hype surrounding the film in 1993/4, and I cannot guarantee that it is all accurate] See the Internet Movie Database for full credits. Das Spinnennetz (dir. Bernhard Wicki, Germany, 1989) Starring: Ulrich Muehe, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Armin Mueller-Stahl The last and most expensive of the Roth-adaptations made by the late Wicki (he died in 2000), this was originally broadcast as a TV mini-series. The decision to repackage it as a single film for video release was certainly a mistake. At three hours plus the film, based on one of Roth's shortest novels, seems bloated and leaden. The plot simply cannot sustain one's interest for this length of time, despite Wicki's attempts to flesh it out with episodes borrowed from other texts and the presence of great film actors like Brandauer. The film, which was generally well reviewed as a TV series, was issued as a video in 1991, and subsequently deleted. See the Internet Movie Database for full credits.

The Legend of the Holy Drinker (dir. Ermanno Olmi, Italy/France, 1988) Starring: Rutger Hauer, Anthony Quayle This is probably the best-known adaptation of a work by Roth, directed by an Italian, set in a beautifully timeless Paris and starring an international cast, including Dutch b-movie icon Rutger Hauer in one of his best roles. Although this film is also probably a bit too long given the concise, parable-like source novella, the film is nevertheless entertaining and moving. Hauer is excellent as the inarticulate alcoholic Andreas, who struggles to repay the money lent him by a mysterious stranger (played by Anthony Quayle). The film was available as an Artificial Eye video until March 2000, but has unfortunately now been deleted. But check out libraries and rental stores! See the Internet Movie Database for full credits.

OTHER ROTH ADAPTATIONS Sins of Man (loosely based on Hiob; dir. Otto Brower and Gregory Ratoff, USA 1936) Starring: Jean Hersholt, Don Ameche This film was, according to David Bronsen's biography, the fruit of Roth's decision to sell the rights to Hiob to an American production company. They apparently considered the story 'too Jewish' and so adapted it freely. Bronsen quotes a 1939 article from the Pariser Tageszeitung: 'Die grosse Produktionsgesellschaft, die es haette drehen wollen, liquidierte eines schoenen Tages und wurde mit einer noch groesseren fusioniert. Mit der "Masse" gingen an diese auch die Filmrechte von Roths Roman ueber. Das Drehbuch von Ossip Dymow [...] gefiel ihr anscheinend nicht. Sie liess ein neues schreiben, das sie wohl dem Beduerfnis und Verstaendnis ihres Publikums angepasster erachtete. In ihm wurde der juedische Melamed (Lehrer) Mendel Singer in einen katholischen Mesner verwandelt und die Handlung aus Zuchnow in Russisch-Polen nach Grossenass in Suedtirol verlegt.' Als dieser "Otto Brower Film der Fox-Gesellschaft" unter seinem Originaltitel Sins of Man Ende 1938 einem juedischen Publikum in Jerusalem vorgefuehrt wurde, fuehrte die Rezension eines empoerten Kritikers den sarkastischen Titel: 'Mendel Singer laesst sich taufen'. From David Bronsen, Joseph Roth: eine Biographie (Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1993), pp. 218-19 The Internet Movie Database provides (apparently unverified) credits which support this account. If anyone has actually seen this film I'd be interested to hear from them! Die Legend vom heiligen Trinker (dir. F. J. Wild, Germany 1963) TV-Movie Radetzkymarsch (dir. Michael Kehlmann, Austria1965) TV-Movie Die Geschichte von der 1002. Nacht (dir. Peter Beauvais, Germany 1969) Starring: Walther Reyer, Johanna Matz TV-Movie Das falsche Gewicht (dir. Bernhard Wicki, Germany 1971) Starring: Helmut Qualtinger, Agnes Fink, Evelyn Opela See Internet Movie Database for full credits Trotta (based on Die Kapuzinergruft; dir. Johannes Schaaf, Germany/Austria 1971) Starring: Andras Balint, Rosemarie Fendel, Doris Kunstmann See Internet Movie Database for full cast Beichte eines Moerders (dir. Wilhelm ten Haaf, Germany 1976) TV-Movie Hiob (dir. Michael Kehlmann, Austria 1978) Starring: Guenter Mack, Martha Wallner, Sepina Pajanou 3 part TV series Tarabas (dir. Michael Kehlmann, Germany 1982) Starring: Helmut Lohner 3 part TV series Flucht ohne Ende (dir. Michael Kehlmann, Austria 1986) Starring: Helmut Lohner, Peter Weck 3 part TV series See Internet Movie Database for full cast Die Rebellion (dir. Michael Haneke, Austria 1992) Starring: Branko Samarovski, Judith Pogany TV-Movie