Gary Inbinder's Blog - Posts Tagged "goethe"
Young Goethe in Love
I recently saw the film “Young Goethe in Love” (“Goethe!” in its original German release). I’ll admit I haven’t read Goethe since I was in college and have a somewhat sketchy knowledge of his biography; nevertheless, I enjoyed the film. And that’s because, from my perspective, this Biopic works well as a familiar but compelling story with engaging, sympathetic characters.
The story covers about two years (1772-1774) in Goethe’s life when the 24 year-old wannabbe author was on the verge of literary celebrity. And that unprecedented success, the publication of “The Sorrows of Young Werther”, an international best-seller that launched the Romantic Movement, is central to the film’s story-line, which blends historical fact with Goethe’s semi-autobiographical fiction.
We’re introduced to Goethe (played by a very likeable German actor) on the day he fails a Bar Exam. The scene is amusing and important from a dramatic standpoint because I believe most viewers--and who among us hasn’t screwed-up on an exam, interview, etc.--will empathize. And the young protagonist’s mind is not on the law; rather, he’s concentrated on wine, women, and poetry. Predictably, his father objects. The elder Goethe is not portrayed as a villain or oppressive tyrant. He’s just a typical concerned dad who wants his son to follow a respectable profession rather than waste time on poetry, novels, and plays.
In due course young Goethe is packed off to a provincial town to serve an apprenticeship as a law clerk. There he meets the grumpy, stolid boss who becomes Goethe’s antagonist and rival; a shy, stuttering co-worker who becomes Goethe’s best friend; and a smart, spirited, pretty young woman who bolsters his confidence, inspires his work and becomes the great love of his life. This all seems familiar, yet in its typical character arc and the skilful interweaving of fact and fiction it works quite well. Add beautiful scenes of the German countryside, some great music, meticulous attention to period detail, a clever script, fine acting with some real chemistry between the young lovers, and you have what was for me a very satisfying Historical Biopic.
For those unfamiliar with Goethe and his writing, I don’t want to include a major spoiler. Suffice it to say that life for both Goethe and Charlotte Buff Kestner—the model for Lotte in “The Sorrows of Young Werther”—did not end tragically, as in the novel. And for anyone in the mood for an intelligent, well-made Historical Romance I highly recommend “Young Goethe in Love.”
The Sorrows of Young Werther
The story covers about two years (1772-1774) in Goethe’s life when the 24 year-old wannabbe author was on the verge of literary celebrity. And that unprecedented success, the publication of “The Sorrows of Young Werther”, an international best-seller that launched the Romantic Movement, is central to the film’s story-line, which blends historical fact with Goethe’s semi-autobiographical fiction.
We’re introduced to Goethe (played by a very likeable German actor) on the day he fails a Bar Exam. The scene is amusing and important from a dramatic standpoint because I believe most viewers--and who among us hasn’t screwed-up on an exam, interview, etc.--will empathize. And the young protagonist’s mind is not on the law; rather, he’s concentrated on wine, women, and poetry. Predictably, his father objects. The elder Goethe is not portrayed as a villain or oppressive tyrant. He’s just a typical concerned dad who wants his son to follow a respectable profession rather than waste time on poetry, novels, and plays.
In due course young Goethe is packed off to a provincial town to serve an apprenticeship as a law clerk. There he meets the grumpy, stolid boss who becomes Goethe’s antagonist and rival; a shy, stuttering co-worker who becomes Goethe’s best friend; and a smart, spirited, pretty young woman who bolsters his confidence, inspires his work and becomes the great love of his life. This all seems familiar, yet in its typical character arc and the skilful interweaving of fact and fiction it works quite well. Add beautiful scenes of the German countryside, some great music, meticulous attention to period detail, a clever script, fine acting with some real chemistry between the young lovers, and you have what was for me a very satisfying Historical Biopic.
For those unfamiliar with Goethe and his writing, I don’t want to include a major spoiler. Suffice it to say that life for both Goethe and Charlotte Buff Kestner—the model for Lotte in “The Sorrows of Young Werther”—did not end tragically, as in the novel. And for anyone in the mood for an intelligent, well-made Historical Romance I highly recommend “Young Goethe in Love.”
The Sorrows of Young Werther
