Mädchen in Uniform
Posted by martinteller on January 12, 2011
Despite being apparently toned down from the novel and the play, this film is quite overt in its lesbian themes. Though it’s not graphic or lurid in any way, it would have never passed muster in Hollywood, even during the pre-Code era. Here we have young girls (14-ish) in a boarding school expressing love not only for each other, but also for their alluring and compassionate teacher. The emotion is not simply lust (these children are starved for any sort of affection) but there is an undeniable sexual element to it. But this isn’t merely a story of budding young passions… it also has a strong anti-fascist message, one which the Nazis would try to suppress. Although there’s a little too much good guy/bad guy for my tastes, it does make an effective statement. And it’s an artful piece of work. Not quite expressionist, but very expressive in its camera language. An intriguing bit of cinematic history. Rating: 8
