Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Kaspar Hauser had reportedly spent his entire life alone in a dungeon until an unknown man left him in Nuremburg’s town square in 1828. The young foundling, who could barely read or write, drew the attention of the public and was exhibited as a carnival sideshow attraction. Teacher Georg Friedrich Daumer then took him in with plans to educate him. The story picks up two years later, when the artistic young man is subjected to questioning by academics, clergy, and noblemen to assess his progress. An English lord expresses an interest in adopting Kaspar. But the wilful “child of nature” does not live up to their expectations. In the final analysis, he remains alien and, in the end, falls victim to violence … “It seems to me that my coming into this world was a terribly hard fall,” is how Kaspar describes the encounter with the Biedermeier-esque bourgeoisie that graced him with a respectable education. More entranced by the legends than the facts of the Kaspar Hauser case, Werner Herzog uses carefully staged camera tableaux to portray the “wild child” as a maladjusted contrarian determined to vex the immutable bourgeois order.
by Werner Herzog
with Bruno S., Walter Ladengast, Brigitte Mira, Hans Musäus, Willy Semmelrogge
Federal Republic of Germany 1974 German,  Subtitles: English 109’ Colour Rating R12

For the 2023 Retrospective, internationally renowned directors, actors, and screenwriters were asked to select their personal coming-of-age favourites.
Mohammad Rasoulof on his selection

With

  • Bruno S.
  • Walter Ladengast
  • Brigitte Mira
  • Hans Musäus
  • Willy Semmelrogge
  • Michael Kroecher
  • Henry van Lyck
  • Enno Patalas
  • Volker Elis Pilgrim
  • Volker Prechtel
  • Herbert Achternbusch
  • Clemens Scheitz
  • Alfred Edel

Crew

DirectorWerner Herzog
ScreenplayWerner Herzog
CinematographyKlaus Wyborny, Werner Herzog, Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein
EditingBeate Mainka-Jellinghaus
MusicPopol Vuh
SoundHaymo Henry Heyder
Production DesignHenning von Gierke
CostumesGisela Storch, Ann Poppel
Make-UpSusanne Schröder
Production ManagerWalter Saxer
ProducerWerner Herzog
Commissioning EditorWilli Segler

Produced by

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Germany

ZDF

Mainz, Germany

Additional information

DCP: Studiocanal, Berlin

Dates

Mon Feb 20 13:30

Cubix 3

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Tue Feb 21 16:00

Cubix 6

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