German-language cinema in the 1970s was not exactly blessed with highlights. The self-financing film industry had finally collapsed. Only the excesses of the sex film wave (SCHULMÄDCHEN-Report / LASS JUCKEN, KUMPEL / LIEBESGRÜSSE AUS DER Lederhose) were successful at the box office. The tax money from the German Federal Film Board (FILMFÖRDERUNGSANSTALT) had to start to take effect gradually. Well, and the auteur filmmakers of the NEW GERMAN FILMS were successful in Cannes and at the Berlinale, but did not meet expectations at the box office.
The only ray of hope is the West German director Roland KLICK, who wanted to make West German genre cinema with a high standard: DEADLOCK (1970) and LIEB Vaterland, MAGST RUHIG SEIN (1976).
SUPERMARKT from 1974 tells the story of the young Willi (Charly WIERZEJEWSKI), who wanders through the Hamburg harbor district of St. Pauli and has to deal with some strange people. For example, there is the prostitute Monika, played by Eva MATTES (Silver Palm 1979 for WOYZECK), with whom Willi absolutely wants to run away. To do this, however, he would first have to get her away from her pimp (Heinz DOMEZ, who would play the lead role in LIEB VATERLAND, MAGST RUHIG SEIN two years later). The journalist Frank (Michael DEGEN) is desperate to help Willi lead an independent life in normal circumstances. But there is also Theo (Walter KOHUT), who wants to turn Willi into a prostitute for wealthy homosexuals (Hans Michael REHBERG), but is also planning a robbery of a money transport. As in a drama, the audience follows young Willi on his descent to ruin, accompanied by the great CELEBRATION, sung by Marius MÜLLER-WESTERNHAGEN. We experience an authentic Hamburg in the 1970s, which is rarely seen in German-language cinema. The great images are by ACADEMY AWARD nominee Jost VACANO, who was nominated for DAS BOOT in 1983. Roland KLICK was quite rightly awarded the GERMAN FILM AWARD for this great milieu study, which in its best moments reminds me of TAXI DRIVER by Martin SCORSESE, which was made just two years later. Walter KOHUT also received the GERMAN FILM AWARD in 1974 for his role as Theo. As husband of Immy SCHELL and thus also brother-in-law of world star Maria SCHELL and ACADEMY AWARD winner Maximilian SCHELL (awarded in 1962 for THE JUDGMENT OF NÜRNBERG), KOHUT was actually a veteran of the defunct West German film industry, but who embodied the bridge to the NEW GERMAN FILM. Michael DEGEN (1928 - 2022) and Witta POHL (1937 - 2011) were to appear together again in front of the camera from 1987 to 1990 for the then very successful television series DIESE DROMBUSCHS on ZDF.
Exciting milieu study, daring cinema, a classic of German-language film! Definitely worth seeing!
