Die Entlassung

1942 film

Alexander Lernet-Holenia (story)
Curt J. Braun
Felix von Eckardt

Produced by

Emil Jannings (producer)
Fritz Klotsch (line producer)
Walter Lehmann (executive producer)

StarringSee belowCinematographyFritz Arno WagnerEdited byMartha DübberMusic byHerbert Windt

Release date

6 October 1942 (1942-10-06)

Running time

110 minutes
100 minutes (West Germany cut version)

CountryNazi GermanyLanguageGerman

Die Entlassung (English title: The Dismissal) is a 1942 German film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner about the dismissal of Otto von Bismarck. It was one of only four films to receive the honorary distinction "Film of the Nation" ("Film der Nation") by the Reich Propaganda Ministry Censorship Office.^[1]

The success of the 1940 film Bismarck led to this film as a sequel.^[2]

The film is also known as Bismarck's Dismissal in the United Kingdom, Schicksalswende (West German rerun title) and Wilhelm II. und Bismarck (new West German title).

Plot summary

The film shows Bismarck being dismissed by Wilhelm II of Germany and the dilettantes who surround him.^[2] An unscrupulous schemer plays on the king's desire to lead and so persuades him to the dismissal.^[3] This results in a disastrous two-front war by destroying Bismarck's treaty with Russia and leaving him to lament with the question of who would complete his work.^[2]

Cast

Emil Jannings as Prince Bismarck
Margarete Schön as Princess Johanna Bismarck
Christian Kayßler as Count Herbert Bismarck
Theodor Loos as Kaiser Wilhelm I
Karl Ludwig Diehl as Kaiser Friedrich III
Hildegard Grethe as Empress Frederick
Werner Hinz as Kaiser Wilhelm II
Werner Krauss as Privy Councillor von Holstein
Otto Graf as Count Eulenburg
Paul Hoffmann as Count Waldersee
Paul Bildt as Minister von Bötticher
Walther Süssenguth as Tsar Alexander
Franz Schafheitlin as Ambassador Count Schuvalov
Herbert Hübner as General Adjutant von Hahnke
Rudolf Blümner as Chef Of Civil Cabinet Hermann von Lucanus
Fritz Kampers as Professor Dr. Schwenninger
Emil Heß as Grand Duke Vladimir
Heinrich Schroth as General von Caprivi

Release and reception

The war with Russia delayed its release, and it was not exported, owing to the obvious parallels.^[2]

Motifs

Much emphasis was laid on Bismarck's notion of Greater Germany.^[2] His failure was depicted as leading to the Treaty of Versailles.^[3]

References

^ Hake, Sabine (2002). German National Cinema. London: Routledge. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-415-08901-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Hertzstein, Robert Edwin (1978). The War That Hitler Won. New York: Putnam. pp. 305–306. ISBN 978-0-399-11845-6.
^ ^a ^b Leiser, Erwin (1975). Nazi Cinema. New York: Macmillan. p. 119–120. ISBN 978-0-02-570230-1.

External links

The Dismissal at IMDb
Die Entlassung is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Die Entlassung Full movie at Deutsche Filmothek