Kurt Gerron's Karussell
©TV Ventures in co-production with Filmmuseum,
Vera Vista Praha and Arte/SFB
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One of the most ironic turns of fate in an actor's life during the past century took
place within the domains of the twisted cross in 1944. Kurt Gerron (1887-1944), a
noted actor, cabaret performer, and director, who established himself in pre-war
Germany, was a man obsessed with his work. The zeal with which he approached
any project he worked on was as well known to his friends as his dedication to the
craft. A large figure of a man who was known for a friendly attitude (he was
nicknamed "Pappy") and an open mind would find his nemesis in the concentration
camps of Westerbork, Theresienstadt and Auschwitz.
The final days leading to his demise are tinged with a macabre and naive
hopefulness. The fact that his name has practically been swept away with the dust of
memories testifies how civilization and the whimsicality of fashions (both in arts and
politics) can affect humanity and the arts. A name once popular has practically
become forgotten and rendered almost meaningless to the wide public, but the story
behind the man has not diminished in its strength. Among the general population, he
might still be recalled as Marlene Dietrich's impresario and the performing magician
in Joseph von `Sternberg's 1930 film "Der Blaue Engel" ("The Blue Angel"). His
work included seventy film rolls as actor and eighteen films as director (five for the
Berlin UFA studios) as well as a long list of theatrical associations (he was, for
example, the man who played the original role of Tiger Brown onstage in Brecht and
Weill's 1928 "Der Dreigroschen Oper" ("Threepenny Opera").
After the National Socialists gained control of Germany, Gerron emigrated for a
period to France, a shorter time to Austria, and finally wound up in the Netherlands
(where he directed three films). In Amsterdam, Gerron became director of the
"Hollandse Schouwburg" (Dutch Municipal Theatre) on the Plantage Middenlaan.
This location (or what remains of it) is nowadays a memorial to the holocaust
because it also served as the location where the Jews of Amsterdam were gathered
together by the Germans while awaiting transport to Camp Westerbork. In 1943,
Gerron was sent from Westerbork to Theresienstadt, where he organized cabaret
performances under the title of "Karussell" (Carousel) with other artists living in the
"Privilegierten-KZ". In return for his life, he also agreed to direct the German
propaganda film "Der Führer schenkt Den Juden eine Stadt" about daily life in this
"exemplary" camp. The enacted "daily routine" of the camp inhabitants was recorded
on film by Gerron according to the strict directives of Herr Himmler. Once the film
wrapped, Gerron was sent to Auschwitz and gassed. The film was never released at
the time, but edited into pieces that served their deceptive purpose in the "Deutsche
Wochenschau." Only segments of the film remain today.
Fascinating, entertaining, and chilling, this film attempts to put an end to the
renowned actor's estrangement, resuscitate him within the public's mind and
reinstate his private ordeal for the public's imagination. It is the story of a performer
performing for others who are performing as well. The sinister masks that many are
forced to wear make the layers of reality and acting intermingle. The roles played by
the characters in a scenario that is never seen become indecipherable in a horrific
way. The soldiers deceive the (imprisoned) actors, the actors perform their daily
tasks performing onstage (for their fellow prisoners), in a place where denial is
gripped fiercely as the only source of hope.
Director Ilona Ziok has assemblaged interviews with ex-concentration camp
prisoners, personal acquaintances of Gerron himself, with fragments of Gerron's films
as well as sound recordings of Gerron from the thirties to create this 65-minute film.
The montage is interspersed with performances of songs from the Gerron "Karussell"
cabaret that are interpreted by such well-known contemporary artists as Ute Lemper,
Kurt Raab, and Bente Kahan. Listed among the songs are "Ode an Berlin", "Ich
wander durch Theresienstadt", and "Wenn man kein gluck hat". Max Raab's
rendition of "Das Nachtgespenst" is mesmerizing. Gerron's rendition of the same
song (during the end titles) is chilling. The interviews and comments (including one
with Camilla Spira, who worked with Gerron in the transit camp at Westerbork) might
leave one longing for a lengthier exposé, whereas the final (impressive) result
achieved here is that of an impressionistic documentary. By mixing facts and archive
film footage alongside performances of songs from old Berlin, an attempt is made to
capture a feeling of a specific time, to morbidly entertain while commenting on
events, to show the darker side of the performance curtain, and to show what
alterations the human mind can make when concentrated on survival. For those
wanting a more intellectual and detailed analysis, the search for relevant reference
books can only be suggested to serve as an extension for the opening of this
incredible page in history. There is little known about the man inside the man and the
elusive aspect of his private life is captured within the confines of this film.
Kurt Gerron's Karussell
©TV Ventures in co-production with Filmmuseum,
Vera Vista Praha and Arte/SFB
|
This film has a strange and stunning effect on the viewer which brings back
memories of the 1974 Dutch production "Zaliger Nagedachtenis" ("In Loving
Memory") starring Gerard Thoolen which dealt with the situation in Holland during the
German occupation by attacking it head on through a fierce and chilling satire. It
included a cabaret-like performance of victims with their perpetrator. Unfortunately,
this film was haunted by several difficulties during its making, including the crew's
expulsion from the Amsterdam shooting location at the last minute (the same
"Hollandse Schouwburg" mentioned above) by order of the city's mayor. The final
result, approximately a half-hour film, was finished elsewhere and only shown at
three closed screenings before it was resigned forever to concealment. Although this
short film was made almost thirty years after the war, many were so shocked and
outraged during the screenings that some uttered remarks aloud. Unfortunately, the
wider canvas buried within that apparently frivolous, but very biting satire was, for the
most part, intentionally disregarded. The film was rapidly placed under covers by
administrative production heads, so that its existence became conveniently ignored.
Why condemn something when you can erase all trace of it? Retained within closed
quarters, this film also faced the destiny of never being released and for the last
twenty-five years has not seen the light of day.
"Gerron's Karussell," on the other hand, is an incredible film that is available for
viewing. It also begs for a retrospective and reassessment of the man Kurt Gerron
and his work. In this connection the Dutch Filmmuseum has arranged a retrospective
of his work. Anyone interested in films dealing with the holocaust must see this one.
"Kurt Gerron's Karussell" is in German with English subtitles
© 1994-2006 The Green Hartnett
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