The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum
Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum
Germany • 1975
Synopsis
When a young woman spends the night with an alleged terrorist, her quiet, ordered life falls into ruins. THE LOST HONOR OF KATHARINA BLUM portrays an anxious era in West Germany amid a crumbling postwar political consensus. Katharina, though apparently innocent, suddenly becomes a suspect, falling prey to a vicious smear campaign by the police and a ruthless tabloid journalist that tests the limits of her dignity and her sanity. Crafting one of the most accessible and direct works of 1970s political filmmaking, Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta deliver a powerful adaptation of Heinrich Böll’s novel, a stinging commentary on state power, individual freedom, and media manipulation that is as relevant today as when it was released.
Synopsis
When a young woman spends the night with an alleged terrorist, her quiet, ordered life falls into ruins. THE LOST HONOR OF KATHARINA BLUM portrays an anxious era in West Germany amid a crumbling postwar political consensus. Katharina, though apparently innocent, suddenly becomes a suspect, falling prey to a vicious smear campaign by the police and a ruthless tabloid journalist that tests the limits of her dignity and her sanity. Crafting one of the most accessible and direct works of 1970s political filmmaking, Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta deliver a powerful adaptation of Heinrich Böll’s novel, a stinging commentary on state power, individual freedom, and media manipulation that is as relevant today as when it was released.
Credits
Crew
CinematographerJost Vacano
ComposerHans Werner Henze
EditorPeter Przygodda
ProducerEberhard Junkersdorf
Cast
Angela Winkleras Katharina Blum
Mario Adorfas Kommissar Beizmenne