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Today considered one of the masterpieces of German cinemas, Maedchen in
Uniform was originally banned in Germany and the U.S. Set in a strict
boarding school, the tale of a lonely girl’s crush on a female teacher proved
too sensual for some, and its condemnation of Facist authoritanianism outraged
the Nazis. With Eleanor Roosevelt’s help, the U.S. ban was lifted, and the film
was later named best film of the Year by the New York press. Brilliant acting
and direction sensitively depict the schoolgirl’s yearnings in their frenzied
whispers, hysterical lampoons of rigid teachers, and open adoration of one
sympathetic teacher. Though the original negative was destroyed during the war,
the film was restored from rediscovered prints years later. An early feminist
classic, this all-female production is a tender portrayal of female bonding and
love.
Janus Films. 90 minutes. German with English subtitles. 1931.
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