Those who like the Allgäu-detective novels by the author duo Klüpfel/Kobr will hopefully agree with me that this was a perfect adaptation of the novel "Erntedank". The novels offer not only well-constructed whodunits, but also a very loving portrayal of Allgäu characters, peculiarities and myths. The TV movie earns my respect by capturing all of that. Even if Herbert Knaup doesn't look like you would have imagined Kluftinger, he does a very good job of impersonating this detective with a taste for Wurstsalat (don't even begin to ask!) and a certain ineptitude with modern technology, a detective who solves his cases with experience, creativity and instinct. The supporting characters were also well-acted, bringing the dialect-mischmasch of Kluftinger's colleagues just as well to life as the arrogance of a Dr. Langhammer. The two novelists have cameos, too. The direction of Rainer Kaufmann and the camera-work of Klaus Eichhammer convey very well the mythical quality of the Allgäu landscape. This was fun to watch, so I hope there'll be more adaptations of Klüpfel/Kobr's works.
