Die Lümmel von der ersten Bank - 1. Trimester: Zur Hölle mit den Paukern

Social attitudes were changing in the late 60's and the film history attributed to these changes. A notorious attribution from the German cinema are the so-called "Lümmel films" (6 in total) in which the young students and other youths dissociate themselves from the older generation. But as this series was made as comedy within the mainstream German cinema, its rebellion is toned down to say the least and no more than a standard farce is the outcome.

In this episode there are some remarks made by the students to their teachers about the Nazi-past of some of them, Vaterland, military discipline and such, but on the whole the film is no more than a series of the usual adolescent, cheap and boring jokes and the usual petty love affair. The script is just acceptable with only a hint of story; in fact it is no more than a series of events, wearisome held together by director Werner Jacobs who directs in his well-known "as long as it is on the celluloid" style.

Great comedian Theo Lingen was a regular in the series and brings with him his charm, but can not provide anything else. Georg Thomalla keeps himself in check and watch how charming he can be when he does so. The rest of the cast is nondescript, but I love Hannelore Elsner in her white-lace corset.

It must be said that compared to the sequels (and other films prompted by the "Lümmel films") this episode is not made badly at all - the quality such as there is would deteriorate in the sequels - , but in the end the viewer will agree with the phrase that Hansi Kraus frequently says directly into the camera: "Man fasst es nicht" - It is beyond understanding.