Der schönste tag meines lebens

I came along this movie, when I was looking for some light entertainment. I found this and expected to see something in the style of " Die Trapp Familie" or "Mariandl". Austrian movies usually have a certain kind of charm, no matter how shallow they are. This one however, has not. It tells the story of a Hungarian refugee boy (after the 1956 revolution), who is a orphan and comes to Austria. There an old Danub-ship capitan has pity on him and takes the boy under his wings. The boy's dream is it to join the famous "Wiener Saengerknaben" choir. This dream soon becomes reality. The acting is stiff and unconvincing. Only the scenes between the old capitan and the boy are watchable. Paul Hoerbiger is completely wasted in this one. Even his acting is atrocious. The songs sung by the choir are the only enjoyable feature of this film. Don't watch this one.

This is such a wonderful sweet little movie. It depicts the hardship, and good will of those times. It is a "feel good". Movie. It made my day and send me back to my youth. I think you had to live through these times to appreciate it.

With very speedy developments, this is a roughly made movie, in its plot and performance. Was it made for children? Even so, it well portrays the boy's sentiment who admires their dame Maria. His sentiment when he lies in order to keep her from pinch. Maria's sentiment when she says, after watching the boy round-the-clock, that if she takes a rest she would no longer be his mother. Those pure sentiments match the songs of the boy's choir.

By the way, I am now 63. I remember I saw the movie with my mother when I was an elementary school boy. Only scene I can recall is the kiss scene. The kiss scene in my memory is so romantic that I doubt if this is really the same movie as the one I saw with my mother. Perhaps, through decades, the impression of the kiss scene has been purified.