Der alte und der junge König - Friedrichs des Grossen Jugend

This film, written by Thea von Harbou and Rolf Lauckner with a splendid score by Wolfgang Zeller was given its premiere in 1935 at the prestigious UFA Palast-am-Zoo. Subsequently banned by the allies it was eventually reinstated in 1958 as its propoganda element was not considered 'blatant enough' to warrant keeping it on the list of forbidden films.

I consider this not just one of Steinhoff's best films but also one of the finest historical biopics of all.

The film belongs to Emil Jannings who is simply magnificent as Frederick 1st. He succeeds in engaging our sympathy despite his tyrannical, authoritarian nature and his scenes with the excellent Werner Hinz as the future Frederick the Great are stunning.

There are no allusions to the Crown Prince's homosexuality, unsurprisingly, but the willingness of Lieutenant von Katte to sacrifice his life so readily would suggest a devotion beyond that of the platonic. We are left to draw our own conclusions.

Excellent performance also from Georg Alexander as a foppish Prince of Bayreuth and from the always marvellous Friedrich Kayssler as von Katte's father who stoically accepts his son's execution as an expediency.

One would be excused for not connecting the actress playing Queen Sophie with she who played the imperious mother of Claude Rains in Hitchcock's 'Notorious' but for the very singular name of Leopoldine Konstantin.

The final scene of the dying King uttering the words: 'I lay my country in your hands....make Prussia great' and the lengthy close up on his son's face sends a shiver down the spine as we recall how he proceeded to do just that.

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