Herr James Gerard was the US ambassador in Berlin during the first world and "My Four Years In Germany" (1918), relates Herr Gerard's impressions and experiences during that troublesome time in Deutschland . The film was directed by Herr William Nigh, an anodyne silent director; when his "Desert Nights" (1929) was screened in the Schloss, this German count noted that Herr Nigh "likes especially exotic film productions in which he uses many clichés". This aristocratic silent quotation is equally valid for "My Four Years In Germany".
This German count has been living in Deutschland during the last century, not a very long time, certainly, but very much longer than Herr Gerard, who, in his boldness, seems to believe that to spend only four years in Germany is enough time to show the world how Germans are in private life; their habits, customs and how all these were transformed by the Great War.
For example, in the film there are many illustrations of Teutonic dogs with Prussian helmets or vultures in uniform ( an absolute outrage because the latter could easily be confused with genuine Prussian military men
) but that temporary fashion was due to the spirit of war that affected everyone in Deutschland during that time, be they animals, military men or even human beings. Even this Herr Graf forced the servants to wear those Prussian helmets during the meals in order to support such patriotic sentiment.
Obviously during that terrible time, strict German behaviour was accentuated and that was the reason why, as can be seen in the film, the Teutonic soldiers act so badly towards the enemy, but
what do you expect??.. to invite French to dinner when they didn't allow us to pay a visit to Paris??.
On the other hand, Herr Nigh depicts accurately the Kaiser's uniform as well as the greed of the high rank military men around his Excellency and the uselessness of the diplomats and politicians in the film, continually proposing mixed up nonsense involving futile agreements and impossible strategies, quite unlike the military men who preferred action instead of boring talk and a complicated process of intense and long negotiations that in the end still didn't keep America from entering the war.
Using Herr Gerard's memories and misunderstandings, Herr Nigh made a well done propaganda film that makes witty use of real images from newsreels together with dramatization scenes of real facts. Like any propaganda film is supposed to be, the oeuvre is tendentious, Manichean, simplistic and in this case, long but it accomplishes very well its patriotic proposals which is all that counts in this film genre. The film must be seen as a product of its time where artistic values are left behind and the goal is to stoke the heat of war in the hearts of the audience.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must spend four days in Baden-Baden.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
