I'm always intrigued whenever a film director remakes his or her own work. What do they want to do differently this time? 'Der Onkel aus Amerika' ('The Uncle from America'), directed by Carl Boese, is a remake of his 1931 film 'Man Braucht kein Geld'. Each film gives an interesting depiction of Germany (and its relationship with the United States) at their respective moment in time: the 1931 version shows Germany on the brink of Nazism during the throes of Depression which was largely caused by American financiers, whilst the 1953 remake depicts post-war West Germany rising from the ashes (literally) under partitioning and U.S. military supervision.
Both films have nearly identical plots. In the remake, Thomas Hoffmann is a German expatriate who has reportedly made his fortune in America: now he is returning to his hometown for a visit. Schmidt is the head clerk at the local bank, which is on the brink of failure due to wartime problems and irresponsible speculation before and after the war. Schmidt believes that wealthy Hoffmann will invest in local industry (and deposit money in the bank) to save both the bank and the town. In the event, it turns out that Hoffmann is a failure and a fraud. Nevertheless, because Hoffmann is perceived to be rich, his mere presence attracts money: businessmen want to invest in his prosperous American businesses, unaware that those businesses are nonexistent. All is well until Hoffmann decides to turn honest and reveal the truth...
German comedies usually manage to be unfunny, and this movie is meant to be a satire, which is even worse. The movie tries to make all sorts of clever comments about the United States, and big business, and German society, but most of these jokes fall flat. Still, this film is an interesting document of its time. I'll rate 'Der Onkel' 3 points out of 10.
