Romance in a Minor Key (1943) User Reviews (7)

He wasn't following orders

[antcol8 · 8/10 · 11 May 2011]

Strange, this fascination with artworks that came out of Nazi Germany. The search for the occasional object that was not ruined by its contact with propaganda. And yet, at the same time, the attempt to decipher signifiers which reveal that this work was created WITHIN that milieu. Signs of "inner emigration"? Or just an awareness of tacit participation in a world impregnated by death and destruction. The smile of the beautiful victim of suicide...

All the missing voices and faces that make their presence visible in this film through their absence: Stefan Zweig, Max Ophuls, even Peter Lorre. So much has to stand for so much here. The film is beautiful: sweeping long shots, subtle crossings, veils. The incredible cynical line "Let's drink to the morality of the Bourgeoisie!".

Romanze In Moll is a miracle of style. Having read about it for years, though, I was not surprised by the actual object. It looked pretty much like I imagined it would. Better than Ophuls? No way, José.

German masterpiece has missed recognition through its origins.

[Mozjoukine · 8 November 2002]

ROMANZE IN MOLLE is an amazing film to have come out of war time Germany, when even gifted film makers were defeated by lack of resources and the attitudes of their time.

This is one of the most elegant and accomplished films ever made and may be considered the German equivalent of GONE WITH THE WIND or ENFANTS DU PARADIS, whose aesthetic it shares marginally. Only noticing the aged male extras in the crowd scenes gives any hint of the circumstances under which the film was produced.

Marian, who was lead in the notorious Nazi JEW SUSS and a couple of preposterous Douglas Sirk thirties German romances, gives his outstanding performance and Hoppe never repeated the delicacy of her playing in any other film I saw. The same may be said for all the recognisable players.

The Maupassant story appears to be the one for the Ophuls' MADAM D. reworked considerably and this film out-classes that.

Kaütner was the great German director of his day, with this anticipating his fifties master works, THE LAST BRIDGE, THE DEVIL'S GENERAL and SKY WITHOUT STARS. Even the first film from his disastrous Hollywood stay is remarkable. Notice MOLLE has the scene he would repeat in later films - the protagonists traveling at the same time but missing one another with fatal results.

The war and the occupation reduced the scale and impact of Helmut Kaütner's efforts but this film shows that he was already well on the way to being the leading European film maker of his day. However, in the wake of WW2, critics where not about to hand that crown to a German.

Beautifully made melodrama, based on a Maupassant story

[Lars-65 · 10/10 · 8 April 2001]

Though uncredited, the Maupassant story `Les bijoux' was the inspiration for this poignant drama. In late 19th century France, the wife of a bookkeeper is is blackmailed by her husband's boos after he discovers she is also the mistress of a famous composer. This beautifully made film has a sensitive delicacy that is unusual for Third Reich cinema. The cast – directed by the brilliant Helmut Käutner – is outstanding. Although Goebbles didn't like this film very much, Käutner went on and made to other brilliant melodramas before the end of the war. He directed Hans Albers in the superb colour feature `Grosse Freiheit Nr. 7' (1944) and helmed the equally brilliant `Unter den Brücken' (1945).

"One is gallant. One makes gifts."

[brogmiller · 9/10 · 2 November 2021]

It is to be regretted that one of Germany's finest directors, Helmut Kautner, is virtually unknown to non-European audiences despite his having worked wonders with the material at his disposal in two films for Universal in the late 1950's.

His post-war work in Germany is variable but he succeeded in giving us some truly excellent films and of the nine he directed between 1939 and 1945 at least two are masterpieces of the genre.

Film historian Georges Sadoul has referred to 'Romance in a Minor Key' as the only film of 'real quality' to have emerged during the Nazi years. This may be a slight exaggeration but it is certainly one of the most polished, elegant and heartfelt. Although on the face of it a romantic melodrama it is in fact rather subversive for the time, being inspired by 'The Necklace' of Maupassant who happened to be on the Nazi 'banned' list. The film's depiction of infidelity was not at all to Goebbel's liking which is ironic considering the Propoganda Minister was such a notoriously unfaithful husband.

The Madeleine of Marianne Hoppe is loved by three men. Her devoted but blinkered husband, a self-obsessed musician and a lecherous banker. All three men and the object of their love are each destined in their way to pay a terrible price........

Herr Lautner's stunning visual sense is evident here as is his legendary skill with actors. He had previously directed Marianne Hoppe in 'Goodbye Francesca' and as Madeleine she is even more luminous. Not a traditional beauty by any means but an exceptional artiste whose acting is 'interior' and who brings her own air of mystery. Despite her perceived chumminess with the Nazi elite her career continued unabated after the war as did that of Gustaf Grundgens with whom she had a fruitful working relationship as well as a 'lavender marriage'.

The musician is played by the excellent Ferdinand Marian whose life and career alas were blighted by his portrayal of Oppenheimer the Jew. As the banker Siegfried Breuer is wonderfully seedy and this actor is probably best known to English and indeed American speaking audiences as Popescu in 'The Third Man'. Paul Dahlke is superb as the cuckolded husband.

Helmut Kautner is an intriguing figure, a cultured, creative artiste and humanist who navigated the perilous waters of the Third Reich and did his best to rise above what he called the 'bourgeois culture industry' of post-war Germany. He belongs to that elite group of directors known as 'auteurs' and epitomises the theory that a work of art reflects its creator.

A tricky matter convincingly presented

[Wolfi-10 · 9/10 · 17 March 2003]

If one's wife (not the one in the movie but the one of this writer), who normally sternly disapproves of extramarital affairs for ethical as well as practical reasons (such as messing up the household finances) - if said wife admits to finding a measure of compassion with this film's Madelene, although she was by no means treated badly by her husband (for example not even beaten up one single time) - then director Käutner must have pulled that one off really cleverly. However, the husband (not the one in the movie but this writer) can't muster the same sympathy, because he cannot for the world image what the movie husband, or he in place of the movie husband, could have done to avoid his wife going astray, except composing a romanze in moll, which neither one could manage quite that well. So this is a very realistic and important film that raises the big questions of life, marriage and how to keep the latter everlasting happy. Off-hand, a harem-type setup seems to be the best solution.

An entertaining film considering the time

[cynthiahost · 10/10 · 17 April 2012]

This is one of the best classic films made between 33 and 45.A Romantic film.This was one of Marianne Hoopes best films.She plays Madeleine,a neglected wife of a very busy Paul Dahlke.I kind of feel that the use of Paul was mismatched for M.s. Hoopes but in this case this would be an excuse for her to meet Michael, played by Ferdinand Marianne. Starts with a Jewelry shop.She is admiring the pearl necklace.Ferdi sees her admiring them and starts to make a pass at her. She leaves .He later buys the necklace , next time she at the shop he surprised her with them.At first she rejects them.He then invites her up to his apartment.She discovers that he is a composer and a conductor of an symphony orchestra.He is composing a symphonic melody.She inspires him.That's when the affair begins. There's a funny shot when Paul Dahlkes character is saying good bye to her as he goes to his job.It's odd .It shows a behind the head shot of Marianne ,showing mostly of Dahlke. Her husband never founds out until she discovers her husband boss is a friend of Michael.Thinking she was Michael's Frau. Only at a business dinner that Madeleine discovers that Sigfried Breurer ,playing Viktor Pauls boss, is Michael friend. He discovers he is the wife his employer.He eventually black mails her.she's force to go to his place or else.So in the beginning of the film it shows that she ended it with suicide.I thought she was already dead.Paul selling some of her stuff to pay the medical bills, discovering the necklace she wore thought it was fake, was real. Marian visits Paul and Paul devastated than ever.The last scene you see her in bed recovering and the hands of Ferd putting her necklace down on her. Great movie.This is at Germanwarfilms.com 04/18/12

What happened to Madeleine?

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 23 June 2016]

"Romanze in Moll" or "Romance in a Minor Key" is a German film from 1943, so this one will have its 75th anniversary soon. It also means that this black-and-white film by Helmut Käutner and Willy Clever came out during the years of Nazi Germany, World War II, to be more specific. But these almost 100 minutes are not a propaganda film. On the contrary, there are some elements in here that are pretty creative and ahead of its time. For example, we find the core plot even out right at the beginning. A woman commits suicide and we find out together with her husband during the film why things turned out this way. Shocking events happen on the way, also for the husband. Several of the actors here were really prolific and successful back in the day in the first half of the 20th century and this also includes Ferdinand Marian in one of his more harmless performances. Overall, I think there is some decent ambition and promising material in here overall, but I still must say that I could not care for the characters or the film itself during the entire runtime. There was definitely potential for more and for a better film in general. I am not impressed and must say the bad outweighs the good. Not recommended.