Das Wunder von Bern (Germany 2003)


Figure 1.--Matthias has grown up in a West German mining town without his father who is a POW in the Soviet Union. His passion is football and he has been "adopted" by the local football star as mascot.

A recent movie from Germany, " The Miracle of Bern " (2003) is now being released in the states. The German title is " Das Wunder von Bern ". It is about a 1954 football (soccer) match between Germany and Hungary. A young 11-year boy Matthias Lubanski played by Louis Klamroth and is involved throughout this movie. The film is about Germany's 1954 World cup win and it's effects on a German family, a young sportswriter and a player on the team. The film is set during Summer 1954 and focuses on the 1954 football (soccer) match between Germany and Hungary. A young 11-year boy Matthias Lubanski (a Polish sounding name) played by Louis Klamroth and is involved throughout this movie. Almost a decade has past since World War II. The Soviet Union is returning the German POWs. Many died in Soviet camps and most of the rest are broken men. One of these men is the son of 11-year old football-loving Mathias who does not know his father and grown up without him. Matthias lives with his mother, sister and older brother. Matthias obsession with football has brought him a surrogate father--a local football star Helmut Rahn. Matthias wears lederhosen shorts and a jacket that almost comes down to the bottom to his shorts.

Filmology

A recent movie from Germany, " The Miracle of Bern " (2003) is now being released in the states. The German title is " Das Wunder von Bern ".

Setting

The movie is set in a West-German mining town during the Summer of 1954.

Cast

Matthias was played by 11 year old Louis Klamroth. He is flat out excellent in the role. His movie father was played by his real-life father, Peter Lohmeyer, who is also excellent. There are some great scenes on the local boys (and a girl) playing soccer with a ratty, worn ball in the streets and in a field.


Figure 2.--The Summer of 1954 brings not only the World Cup, but the return of Matthias' father from the Soviet Union. Here the family awaits him at the train station. Note the chartcteristic German cap Matthias wears.

Plot

The film is about Germany's 1954 World cup win and it's effects on a German family, a young sportswriter and a player on the team. The film is set during Summer 1954 and focuses on the 1954 football (soccer) match between Germany and Hungary. A young 11-year boy Matthias Lubanski (a Polish sounding name) played by Louis Klamroth and is involved throughout this movie. Almost a decade has past since World War II. The Soviet Union is returning the German POWs. Many died in Soviet camps and most of the rest are broken men. [HBC note: We are not sure to what extent the POWs could decide whether they went to East or West Germany. Does anyone know if they had a choice or if they had to go back to their home town.] One of these men is the son of 11-year old football-loving Mathias who does not know his father and grown up without him. Matthias lives with his mother, sister and older brother. Matthias obsession with football has brought him a surrogate father--a local football star Helmut Rahn. Helmut likes Matthias and "adopts" Matthias as a kind of mascot. Matthias's family which had adjusted to life with out their father and is affected by Richard's return. He is hardenened andembittered by his 10 years in Soviet camps. He has trouble adjusting to the new, more open Germany. He is very severe with the children. He has no interest in football and the World Cup match in nearby Bern, Switzerland. Matthias of course wants nothing more than to see the match, especially because Helmut will play on the German team. Matthias's enthusiam and passion slowly affect his father helping to begin the healing process. There are also story lines involving the boy's hero playing in the tournament and of a young sportswriter assigned to the tournament. The sportswriter brings his young wife (they are newlyweds) to the tournament and she becomes a passionate fan during the games, at one point inadvertently leading the stadium in cheers for the German team. The economic growth of post-war Germany has been traced to the 1954 World Cup success.

Costuming

Matthias wears a variety of garments. He wears a charcteristically German cap. He has short lederhosen much of the time with ankle socks. Some other boys wears kneesocks. He also wears a jacket that almost comes down to the bottom to his shorts. He sometimes wears long pants. The other boys wear a variety of shorts, mostly knee length, but a few wear the very short length that Matthias does. Louis Klamroth who played Matthias apparently didn't care much for the lederhosen. When interviewed about the film, Louis called them "hot pants" lederhosen and kept tugging at them when he was sitting down because they were so short. The actor who played his older brother, was in a band and wore American style clothes and had a 50s American haircut which illustrated the German fascination with American culture, especially music.

Assessment

This is an outstanding film, both about soccer, kids, family and living in 1950's Germany. The soccer scenes are outstanding although the CGI crowd effects are a bit cheesy. Some of the scenes in Switzerland are shot in an almost-50's style Technicolor. The film is in German with English subtitles. It was very popular in Germany and was just released on DVD there.

Soccer

Football or Soccer is the most popular team sport in the world. It is played by more people than any other sport. As this film shows, sports can play an importanr role in peopkle's lives. HBC has developed information both on soccer as well as soccer specifically in Germany.







HBC





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Created: April 27, 2004
Last updated: 2:36 AM 8/10/2004