Karl May 1974

This ethereal, three-hour biopic is the middle film in Hans-Jürgen Syberberg’s “German Trilogy” on the mythological foundations of the Third Reich. By fusing theater, music, and cinema, Syberberg conjures up Karl May (1842-1912), the immensely popular German author, who set many of his adventure novels in an idealized version of the American Wild West. His tales of the cowboy and the Ubermensch alike were beloved by many, including (Our) Hitler, who supposedly ordered his generals to read May works after defeats in the Russian campaign.

Cast:

Helmut Käutner
Karl May 

Kristina Söderbaum
Emma May 

Käthe Gold
Klara May 

Attila Hörbiger
Schriftsteller Dittrich 

Rudolf Fernau
Anwalt Bredereck 

Lil Dagover
Berta von Suttner