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.
