Der verlorene Engel – Film Review

Der Verlorene (The Lost Angel)

Year: 1966

Language: German

Director: Ralf Kirsten

 

Visualising a Christian wedding ceremony as a funeral ceremony to capture the premonition of an artist(Witnessing the event) in a crisis, after the Nazis had removed his sculpture(hovering angel) from the church, the bride slowly walk forward and pass the frame, lifeless faces, bouquet in hand, the frame blurs. Next shot (brilliantly suffused with light) the bride trudges forward, heads lowered, bends and places the bouquet in a bench(or coffin perhaps?) and starts to weep(as others move past her), while voiceover of the priest(for the whole sequence, along with jangling organs, evoking feeling of chaos) assuring the bride to serve the nation’s interest through motherhood, attaining German Christian status and invokes(priest) Hitler as Christ, all said in a context of impending world war.

Terrific is an understatement!
One example from many such deeply symbolic,lyrical scenes.
“Lost angel” (1966) by ralf kirsten. Banned during its time. Masterpiece from German cinema.

There was really a Hovering angel which was removed by Nazis, It’s now in the British Museum.

The film is about the experience of the Artist Barlach during the emergence of Nazism in Germany.

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