If only present day’s filmmakers could come up with such an engaging story as the one featured in the 1983 German film The Shots of Noah’s Ark (original title: Die Schüsse der Arche Noah)!
Set in the last year of the Second World War in Nazi Germany, the movie tells the story of the trials and tribulations of Klaus Wensloff (Oliver Ohrt), a 10-year-old boy desperately trying to understand the difference between right and wrong in the contradictory world of adults and war.
The propaganda machine teaches him to salute Hitler at school and in the streets, his best friend is an enthusiastic Hitler Youth, while at home he witnesses his father falsifying ration cards, illegally listening to radio broadcasts from the Allies and even trying to provide a temporal safe place for the Jews. Moreover, an additional layer of confusion is added by the fact that Klaus is a God fearing youngster after his strongly religious mother but the father, following the communist ideology, rejects God and tries to explain rationally the miracles in the Bible.
When the family is betrayed and forced to flee Berlin, Klaus is taken to a foster home in East Prussia. But he doesn’t get to live there very long as the soldiers of the Red army come and the Germans are forced to bolt. Surprised that the Russian soldiers are not the furious monsters the propaganda has portrayed them to be (as sub-humans carrying knives between their teeth and who butcher little children), Klaus hangs out with them until they decide to bring him to a Monastery, which houses other German children who have lost their families in the war. The challenges the young boy has to face have only just begun…
The Shots of Noah’s Ark is a prime example of a Coming-of-Age movie, as its story follows the alterations of the innocent youth mentality as a result of his experiences. The story is somewhat less violent than the ones featured in other movies focusing on children and war — such as Elem Klimov’s 1985 masterpiece Come and See, the 1962 Soviet film Ivan’s Childhood or the more recently released Wolf Children. However, The Shots of Noah’s Art is equally engaging because of masterful directing and the wonderful acting performance of the young Oliver Ohrt in the lead role. Ohrt’s performance allows the viewer to associate with the character and not only see, but feel, his confusion and despair.
The original story in the film is told in both a dramatic and a human manner. It captures and holds the interest of the audience thanks to the skillful manner in which director Egon Schlegel amplifies the film’s reality. One learns a great deal about the daily life of German youth during the war years, from their exposure to propaganda and distinct ideologies, to witnessing the horrors of war.
Cinematographically, The Shots of Noah’s Ark impresses with the use of lighting to intensify the suspense of the scenes. The inclusion of documentary footage from the war boosts the authentic feel and credibility of the narrative.
A soul piercing story of an innocent boy who passed through the fear and confusion of war The Shots of Noah’s Ark will be appreciated by every fan of quality cinema.
Clip from the film
This film can be found at the company Icestorm Entertainment GmbH as a DVD available for purchase Contact Email: a.wittkowsky@progress-film.de
Boychoir.
But this youngster has given some thought to his future as well. In addition to drumming, he likes maths and engineering and can picture himself in the field of science, like his role model Tom Scholz, who went to M.I.T. before starting the band Boston.
After watching a substantial number of films with somewhat similar plots, one can lose hope that an original narrative still exists out there. That is probably why I was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of plot twists and riddles offered by the Austrian directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz in their 2014 movie Goodnight Mommy (Original title: Ich seh, Ich seh).
If you thought that the time of magic has long gone by, the children’s movie Wiplala is more than capable to change your mind and amuse you while doing it. Based on a popular Dutch children’s book and directed by Tim Oliehoek the film features an engaging and humorous story which brings back reminiscences of Selma Lagerlöf`s novel The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (A Coming-of-Age masterpiece on its own) and the popular American family films Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and The Indian in the Cupboard (with the latter they even share similar poster artwork).
It is the dream life for many boys – living in the jungle, having a rifle, monkey, and tarantula for best friends. Daily adventures and no school — except when your grandfather makes you copy something from a book).
Portraying sexuality in cinema often results in controversial (in some people’s eyes) films due to the sensitive subject matter being treated. Yet a few brave directors have not hesitated to address the theme such as the Danish filmmaker Lasse Nielsen whose Coming-of-Age film You Are Not Alone (Danish: Du er ikke alene) has turned into a classic since its release in 1976.
Sometimes one stumbles upon a true cinematic gem from the past when exploring older films. Such is the case with the 1976 German Coming–of-Age film by Hark Bohm, North Sea Is Dead Sea ( Original title: Nordsee ist Mordsee). In it, 13-year-old Uwe (Uwe Bohm) finds himself slowly slipping into delinquency.
