User reviews

This film, along with WESTFRONT 1918, are my favorite Pabst-directed films and I enjoyed them more than his much more famous films which starred Louise Brooks (such as PANDORA'S BOX). It's probably because both are very similar to the Neo-Realist films that the Italians perfected in the 1940s and 50s. This style film called for using non-actors (just typical folks) in everyday settings in order to create intensely involving and realistic films.

In this case, the film is about French and German coal miners, so appropriately, the people in the roles seem like miners--not actors. The central conflict as the film begins is that there is a huge mine located on the Franco-German border. Instead of one big mine, it is divided at the border and German workers are not welcome in the French mine, despite there being greater unemployment in Germany. This, language differences (illustrated wonderfully in a dance hall scene) and WWI conspire to create a huge rift between the factions--resulting in a WE vs. THEY mentality. Later, an explosion causes a huge collapse in the French and the Germans refuse to sit back and do nothing. Risking their own lives, they prove that there is true comradeship between miners and men in general.

The film is a strong criticism of xenophobia and tried, in vain, to get the German audiences to see the futility of war and hatred. It was a gorgeously moving film with some of the scariest and claustrophobic images I have ever seen. Considering history, though, the film's impact was minimal at best. It's a real shame, as like this one, WESTFRONT 1918, JÁACCUSE (Gance) and ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (Milestone) had great messages of peace and harmony but ultimately were failures in positively swaying public opinion. So, from a historical point of view, it's an amazing and sad relic that is well worth seeing.

Based on an actual mining disaster, this early German talkie (with English subtitles) still remains one of the most effective docu-dramas ever filmed. Featuring many non-professional actors, "Kameradschaft" gives a chilling view of the friendship that binds the mine workers, regardless of which side of the French/German border they may be from. A deadly accident brings out the very best in everyone, nullifying any superiors' orders. A fellow miner in need will receive the help of his comrades, even at threat of great loss, including life.

This film reminds of the self-sacrificing heroism shown by the NYFD following the 9/11 attacks. Putting aside any formal rules and regulations, these men and women in uniform knew only one cause: to save lives, and to find their fellow-fire fighters. -- More than 70 years later, "Kameradschaft" still has the strong and timeless message: A friend in need is a friend in deed.

Fire and collapse threaten the lives of hundreds of French miners in this B&W masterpiece released in 1931. Director Pabst uses the occasion of the collapse as a statement against war. Despite animosities between France and Germany, some German miners assemble a rescue team, cross the border and go underground to aid those trapped below.

The film is amazing in its depiction of mining--the claustrophobic working conditions, the dusty blackness, the danger. The verisimilitude is so convincing that it feels like actors must have been at risk themselves.

Despite language differences and the fears that war promulgates, French and German teams manage to save numerous miners. During the hours that the rescue efforts are being undertaken, the film depicts various points of view and brings together a number of subplots: a grandfather who fears for his grandson trapped in the mine; the townspeople united by their common fears and helpless feelings; a woman who longs to leave behind the inevitable heartbreaks that life in a mining town offers, but is drawn back by her love; the German miners who recognize their commonalities with the miners on the other side of the border.

This is an important story, reminding the viewer that humanity should always trump nationality.

This, the finest achievement from Georg Wilhelm Pabst's Social Realism period is based upon a tragedy in early 1906 that claimed the lives of nearly 1100 French miners as a coal dust explosion deep in mines at Courrieres in northern France took place after a fire had smouldered for three weeks, eventually releasing deadly pit gas that brought about the fatalities. Estimable designer Erno Metzner creates stark sets that simulate the tragedy, providing a perception of reality, augmented by matchless sound editing, with the only music being produced by integral orchestras during the beginning and ending portions of a work for which aural effects possess equal importance with the eminent director's fascinating visual compositions. Pabst's manner of "invisible editing" that segues action from shot to shot through movements of players proves to be smoothly integrated within this landmark film that also showcases sublime cinematography utilizing cameras mounted upon vehicles, enabling the director to shift amid scenes without having a necessity of cutting. Although the work's cardinal theme relates to Socialist dogma, the unforgettable power of this film is held in its details, born of Pabst's nonpareil skill at weaving numerous plot lines into a cinema tapestry that stirs one to admiration for German rescue squads of whom their Fatherland is greatly proud while no less despairing of disastrous losses to the families of French victims; certainly, a seminal triumph fully as stimulating today to a cineaste as it was at the time of its first release.

The name of this film alone made me want to see just what it was all about, so I taped this film during the early hours of the AM. If you ever wanted to see what miners had to go through during the early days and actually see a dramatic scene when the mine crumbles in on the men. This film clearly wants to show that Germany and France can work together and be friends after WW I and how the Germans came to the aid of the French miners much to the unbelief of the French townsfolk. The actors were all outstanding, with unusual scenes in the mine with a horse and a small young boy who worked in the mine. There is an old old retired miner who manges to go down the mine by ladder when the elevator breaks down. If you are a real film buff, this is a film you will not want to miss.

Valliant effort to use a mining catastrophe as a vehicle to pronounce this director's distaste for war. The audience not only learns a great deal about early mining rescue procedures but, we learn that Europeans at the interval between WWI and WWII, had concerning pacifists(for lack of a better term). The speeches given by both representatives of each country at the end of the film, are inspiring given the time. Although the revised edition, through the transfer technology of early foreign films, "cuts-off characters heads" at times, this film holds it's own in many different aspects. Character analysis, lighting techniques, historical content and a scenario that has tested and inspired many a writer and filmmaker.

Pabst went on to Direct and put to screen Weil & Brecht's "Three Penny Opera", starring the original star, Lotte Lenya.

The special effects are top notch, very superior to the Hollywood standards of its time (just compare this film to "San Francisco", made five years later). Most reviewers write about how realistic this film is, but the mine interior was entirely recreated in studio. And it looks like a real claustrophobic coal mine. Amazing! Technically it is superb. About the story and the message a lot has been said, so no need to repeat how good and necessary this film was. I saw it with the epilogue sequence included. Sad end, but it is realistic in this point too. Good intentions meet the old dark forces. Just read Oscar Wilde's "The young king". Its end is even more pessimistic. At least, Pabst opens a door to fight and hope. The closed frontier is only an advice: beware! the fight won't be easy.

Kameradschaft (1931)

*** (out of 4)

German propaganda film which is based on a true incident that happened in 1906 but the film updates the setting to current day 1931. Tensions are running high between French and German miners until the French suffer an explosion and several miners are trapped underground. The German's send in two rescue teams to try and save the French. This is a highly impressive film but like a lot of German films in this period, there's more style than substance, which in the end keeps it from being a great film. The visual style of the film is terrific and it makes the film come off very realistic. The director does a great job inside the mine and the claustrophobic sense we get is very strong. There are countless great shots in the film but I feel they get in the way of the story, which at times drags in certain spots. After the explosion happens there's a good fifteen-minutes of downtime before the rescue team shows up and these down moments come off pretty boring. Outside of that the film is very good and it was also interesting seeing how miners worked back in the 1930s.

Regarded by many as the highpoint of German socialist film-making this fourteenth film of G. W. Pabst is a companion piece to his earlier 'Westfront 1918'.

Based upon the mining disaster at Courrieres in 1906, the director has cleverly chosen to set his film in the mining communities on the Lorraine/Saar border just after the end of the first World War which enables him to show the tensions and mutual distrust between top dog France and underdog Germany.

What strikes one most about Pabst's film are the claustrophobic mine galleries which have been built from scratch in the studio by Erno Metzner and which facilitate the roving camera and effective lighting of the legendary Fritz Arno Wagner whilst Pabst's mastery of crowd scenes is put to stunning use in its depiction of mass anguish.

Viewers will no doubt spot Alexander Granach who was to flee Germany for America and Ernst Busch, an avowed Communist who survived despite being on the Nazi hit list.

This sober, restrained masterpiece with its naively optimistic plea for international brotherhood, although critically well received, was unsurprisingly disdained by both French and German audiences.

The final, symbolic scene in which the iron barrier between the French and German mines is re-established in the presence of stern looking military officials is not only grotesquely ironic but gives dreadful note of the horrors to come.

Those French and those Germans sure have a long history of not liking each other. It is interesting to note that Kamerdaschaft or Comradeship in translation takes place in 1931. Only a few years later, Hitler would siege Germany and begin his plans to take over the world, France being a casualty of his ambitions. But these are times of sereneness compared to the future. A group of miners at the border try to cross over to France to get work. They are spurned back and later at a nightclub by their French neighbors. Then a disaster happens in the mines of the French and a well-crafted and written scene, a troupe of German miners decide to come to the rescue. A simple story is it not? Pabst was a poet of silent cinema and I am not sure if this is his first sound movie or not, but his poetry is there to be discovered. He isn't fussy but brings a rugged realism to the ordeal. Ther is even a flashback to a WWII event that beckons the point of this story. Supposedly based on a real event, the movie does the events proudly with directness and terseness. Smetimes, that's what a movie needs to be.

Foreign films are where it's at for 1931. They were consistently good: "M," "Tabu," "Girls in Uniform," and "Comradeship."

"Comradeship" is based upon the historic Courrieres mining disaster of March 1906 where 1200 French miners were buried alive and Germans came to help. I don't know what German-French relations were like in 1906, but I do know they soured by WWI and were even worse during WWII. "Comradeship" is merely based upon the 1906 disaster, but took place in the present day (1931) which meant that this film was consciously trying to show a unified France and Germany as opposed to a fighting France and Germany.

The fictitious Thibault mine had an explosion and a cave-in which trapped 600 French miners. German miners could see smoke from the Thibault mine on their side of the border. One German boldly proclaimed that he was going over to France to help the trapped miners in spite of whatever feud existed between the two countries. "A miner is a miner," he said, and we can extend that to mean a human being is a human being. HIs determination lit a fuse under the other miners who joined him in the rescue effort though it meant blowing through French customs.

I loved the plot, but that was easy. Who doesn't love a movie about comradeship, partnership, and lending a helping hand, especially to a person or people who were considered foes? I also loved the production. It looked like a big budget movie with the set, the pyrotechnics, the crumbling cave, and the many extras used. It was a 1931 disaster movie.

The combination of props, set design, coordination and plot were masterful. Everyone loves people putting aside their differences in order to come together for things that are more important like human lives. A movie like "Comradeship" will always be celebrated so long as it's not done in a pedantic, exaggerated, pour it on thick, look-at-me-I'm-promoting-unity type of way like a Kardashian Pepsi commercial. Nor can it be done in a patronistic savior way where the outsider hero joins the feuding natives ala "Avatar." Let the movie unfold naturally, let the human kindness rise to the surface organically as "Comradeship" did and you're sure to have admirers.

HBO Max.

Kameradschaft / Comradeship (1931) : Brief Review -

Not a film but a hammer that blowed the wall of cultural and national differences because Humanity doesn't know any cast and nationality. Kameradschaft is a fine example of stone-breaking attempt through one of the most powerful medium called Cinema. It's not a film, i mean I would hate to consider it just as a film and rather would like it to be noted as a cultural phenomena that breaks the walls of nationalism. If this isn't enough then not to forget that Kameradschaft is the greatest combination of expressionism and neo-realism ever appeared on silver screen. Kameradschaft is a Plea against war and for friendship between peoples, through the story of French miners rescued by German colleagues after a firedamp explosion. With the help of gripping narrative it sends out a strong message of humanity and unity beyond cultural and national differences. And then the neo-realism strikes to blow your mind with noir impact of the bitter truth. This is by far the best and the most important film of G W Pabts's career for me. His earlier acclaimed films like 'Pandora's Box' and 'Diary Of A Lost Girl' still had few shortcomings in my opinion but i don't see any such thing with Kameradschaft so i don't mind calling it a Classic (what i didn't call to those 2 films). The cast list is long and i don't think it will be fair to name any single name just to pick as the best and all the actors are fine by the way. The screenplay is little slow in the beginning but that didn't seem like a problem as the runtime didn't strech any useless elements in those engaging 88 minutes. It has a powerful dialogues and the shocking references from the reality of inhumanity people did carry that time hence the hard-hitting values are up by a level. Overall, a mind-blowing lesson on Humanity with artistic expressions.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest

The story, based on a 1906 mining disaster while being set in the WW1 aftermath, sounded really interesting. Have grown to highly appreciate, and even love, German cinema (whether silent or sound). One of the masters and major influences of German cinema being GW Pabst, justifiably lauded but deserves to be better known in general. His films always looked wonderful with some of the best editing in film when active and his films handled difficult subject matters very realistically.

Among Pabst's best and most powerful films in 'Kameradschaft'. It may not have his pioneering directing of actresses he found and developed their skills or how he dealt with the fears, dangers and conflicts of his female characters. What 'Kameradschaft' does have however is his usual seamless editing that few other directors at the time excelled this well at and his pioneering street realism. Few directors that started their careers in silent films transitioned well into sound, although his best work was in silents Pabst did transition well.

'Kameradschaft' is not quite a masterpiece but it nearly is. Some of the downtime moments drag on a bit.

Otherwise, 'Kameradschaft' is wonderful. Especially excelling in the production values, its emotional impact and how it handled its subject. Lets begin with how the film looks, which is nothing short of amazing. The cinematography is a marvel, full of expressive style and haunting atmosphere that enhances the human fragility and conflict better than any other film did at the time. The use of light and montage is pretty ingenious and adds so much to the mood. The seamless editing that Pabst's films became known for is on full display here, nothing stilted or static about it at all when some early talkies did have this problem.

Pabst's direction also can't be faulted. It creates a sense of tense uneasiness without ever being ill at ease, handling a harrowing subject and executing it in a very moving and pulling no punches fashion. Scenes are uncompromisingly claustrophobic. The film, in setting and story execution, feels very realistic, Pabst's unique street realism is on full display, the sets may be studio sets but they are also very handsome and evocative (the cinematography and lighting enhancing them) and the period and setting also feels authentic.

It is a very thoughtfully scripted film and the story is one that doesn't hold back or shy away from showing the impact of something so disastrous and it still shocks and moves. The message is sincerely delivered, didn't feel heavy-handed and is hardly irrelevant today. Some may feel that the ending jars tonally, to me it struck me as very profound. The performances are natural and don't get histrionic, but it's the visuals and the emotional power that stays with you.

Wonderful film overall. 9/10

Based on an event which occurred in 1906 concerning a mine disaster in France, the story has been updated to shortly after the Great War with the disaster now occurring in a mine that is French on one side and German on the other. Overall the picture serves as an anti-war, for co-operation between nations, message. This message is not laid on thick and cleverly forms part of the story. It is though, brought home very accurately and succinctly in the final scene.

One would hardly think that the scenery of "darn the pits" would be of much entertainment value, but this story is probably one of the first in the 'disaster genre'. The underground mine sets have been realistically re-created and one certainly gets a sense of feeling claustrophobic from watching what occurs there. It would appear that a lot of research has gone into the making of this film as everything about it seems natural and starkly real. A further emphasis on this realism is that the Germans speak German and the French speak French.

There are some who say that there were non-professional actors in this film, and the fact that they do so well in their parts conveying the very awfulness of their job has probably brought forth this opinion. The script too is not labored, and the dialogue only gives punctuation when necessary to the action. The direction by Pabst can only be described as brilliant. His crowd scenes are well composed, and the camera is given much fluidity whilst the cutting appears seamless.

In short, this is a dramatic film that looks totally real, has a high degree of excitement throughout, is well acted and beautifully photographed.

(1931) Kameradschaft (In German and French with English subtitles) DRAMA / SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Another film unapproved by Hitler and the Nazis regime, where the film showcases coal mining in the hey days between France and Germany which after the first World War had ended ended but with hostility coming from both sides, especially about employment etc... until an unfortunate coal mining incident reuniting two countries on opposite sides and the dilemmas that come with it! At the beginning of this film showcases a German boy squabbling with a French boy about marbles and the two fathers on opposite sides asking each of them to make up, then the story skips to the coal mining workers- this scene was echoed again on Sam Peckinpah's critically acclaimed Western film "The Wild Bunch" which like this film serves some relevance as the film progresses! Although, still very standard film about coal mining and the story might seem to be cliche, it's still quite interesting about the kind of equipment used and things that used to happen back in those days when digging coal was a lot harder! Also consider is the fact that the time when this film was made, it was based on an actual incident, just after when the Germans and the French were at war with one another during WWII! And while watching this, also reminded me about the 33 saved Chilean miners who were trapped underground in August 2010, and were finally saved involving several countries!

Based on the 1906 Courrières mine disaster, Comradeship re-tells the events that occurred during the rescue mission by upholding the fact that humanity triumphs over borders. After the cold dust Explosion traps the miners at the France's side, the German rescue team comes to their aide after realizing there aren't enough rescuers. The political difference, the world war impact is just not enough for the brave men to come for each other's help and the film celebrates this comradeship. The Director G. W. Pabst sets his story post world war 1.

There are certain lost reels especially the important reel in the climax but kudos to the restoration team which salvaged the German version. This is truly a remarkable film and that entire sentiment behind "a miner is a miner, irrespective of the war and the governments separating us" and that one doesn't need an adversity to come together for one another, hits hard. Director G. W. Pabst is clear in his narrative and there are no particular lead hero in this story as everyone gets equal importance, be it the French and German rescuers or the miners trapped inside, trying their best to survive.