Wrack And Ruin The Rubble Film At Defa L

Collection of five dramas made by DEFA, East Germany's state-owned film studio, in the immediate aftermath of WWII. 'The Murderers Are Among Us' (1946) follows Susanne Wallner (Hildegard Knef), a concentration camp survivor who returns home to Berlin to find Hans Mertens (Wilhelm Borchert), a traumatised military surgeon, living in her apartment. As they cohabitate and slowly get to know each other, he experiences flashbacks of the horrors he witnessed during the war. In 'Somewhere in Berlin' (1946) young Gustav (Charles Brauer) and his friends play in the rubble of the ruined city while the adults around them do what they must to survive. Gustav longs to be reunited with his father but when he does return home from a prisoner of war camp, Gustav barely recognises the gaunt, hopeless man before him. In 'Police Raid' (1947) black market gangs run rampant in Berlin, thriving amidst the chaos of the war-torn city. Chief Inspector Friedrich Naumann (Paul Bildt) is determined to put a stop to these activities but he is murdered during the course of his investigation. His son, a recently returned prisoner of war, begins working for one such gang but later discovers that they are responsible for his father's death. 'Marriage in the Shadows' (1947) centres on Hans Wieland (Paul Klinger) and his wife Elisabeth (Ilse Steppat). They are both actors but she is Jewish while he is not. Despite the insistence of Nazi officials, he refuses to divorce her and attempt to save himself. As the danger they face increases, they are forced to make a devastating decision. Finally, 'The Blum Affair' (1948) is set in 1925 and chronicles the trial of Dr. Jakob Blum (Kurt Ehrhardt). Blum is clearly innocent of the murder for which he stands accused but because he is a Jew, the police and judiciary are keen to make an example of him and proceed with the trial.