THE SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER

US, 1978, 100 minutes, Colour.
Kristy Mc Nicholl, Bruce Davison, Esther Rolle, Michael Constantine.
Directed by Michael Tuchner.

A moving and entertaining telemovie. It shows the unusual story of German prisoners of war in Arkansas. A small group of them come to a country town and the film shows the reactions of the populace, especially their hostility towards Nazism and the bringing of the war into their lives. One of the soldiers escapes and is befriended by an adolescent girl who is not accepted by her parents. A tender friendship grows only to end in tragedy. The ingredients are full of sentiment but they are handled with delicacy and strength. Bruce Davison has a very good role as the German soldier, a mixture of arrogance and humanity. Kristy McNicholl?, of the T.V. series Family, and Burt Reynold’s The End, is moving as the heroine. The supporting cast is excellent and includes Esther Rolle, who won an Emmy for her supporting performance and Michael Constantine as the aggressive father. The film is made with care and was directed. by English director Michael Tuchner, who made such films as Villain, The Likely Lads and Mr. Quilp.

1. The impact of this telemovie? Interest, entertainment, involvement, emotional response, judgment on issues of war, friendship?

2. The production values and the qualities of the film: the re-creation of World War II period in Arkansas, the ordinary American town, the German prisoners and their work, the F.B.1. and their investigations? Colour photography, the score? The feel and atmosphere of time and place for the issues?


3. The film's interest in World War II and American involvement? The reversal of war film expectations? Audience knowledge of British and American escapes with help from people round the countryside of Europe? The reverse happening? Audience expectations of a war escape film? The reaction to Germans, to Nazis and to Hitler? The dialogue highlighting this? The importance of the Nazi treatment of the Jews? The family being Jewish? The Jewish girl helping the German escapes? The themes of prejudice, human friendship, love? The strength of these motivations?

4. The title and its reference to the heroine? How attractive a girl, in herself, her quiet character, growing up? Her place in the family and her being hurt? Her father's continued attacks on her, especially at the table, his physical punishing of her? her mother's care for her but disregard? Comparisons with her little sister? her being hurtful to her and then being sorry? The family's place in the town, the shop, friendships, jealousies? Their being Jewish, the scene of their worshipping in the synagogue? The girl and her own world in Arkansas, her own hideout and her creating her own world? The details of the drawing of her character, emotions? The impact of the prisoners arriving on her, watching the men, selling Anton the hat? her decision to help him and hide him? her devices for feeding him? Discussions about the war, Germany, his family and background, the fate of his parents? Her own American views and feelings? The emotion and nonpolitical feelings transcending the war itself?

5. The crisis in her life and for Anton? her emotional reaction, her fear? his escaping again, rescuing him? her denials? The dramatic impact of the news of his death? The repercussions of her shielding Anton for the family and its reputation, for her own reputation? Legal proceedings?

6. Anton and his place among the prisoners, seeing them arrive, at work, buying the hat? The jewellery? Anton's story and his arrogance? his father’s academic background? The build-up to the escape? his hiding, reliance on the girl. his demands? his fears, friendliness? the ingenuity of the two of them? Also ingenuous? Audience sympathies for him, hoping for his escape, sharing the girl's attitude towards his escape? Audience response to his death?

7. The portrait of the father and his reputation, his hardness towards his children especially the incident with the birthday present, his severity at meals, his work in the shop, his agreeableness to the F.B.I.? his punishing his daughter physically? The mother and her part withdrawal? The devotion to the little girl - as illustrated in her Shirley Temple imitation? The favourite?

8. Ruth and her work in the home, her help? Prejudice towards black servants - as illustrated by the neighbours and the catty wife? Ruth's seeing Anton when he wanted to come to the rescue? Helping him, feeding him? her being dismissed, returning home? Her support of the heroine? The proud walk through the town?

9. The picture of the F.B.I. at work, the intensity, the old-fashioned F.B.I. style?

10. The political themes of America and its involvement in the war, fighting Hitler, Ruth with her son at war and the feelings against the German prisoners? The equating of Germans with Nazis?

11. The nature of prejudice, its deepseatedness, the occasions for its eruption?

12. How well did the film parallel popular escape stories set in Europe? Reversing emotional response?

13. What was the audience left with in terms of the girl's future, the family and its place in the town? The jolting of the audience's presuppositions about friend and enemy? The ordinary human values of supporting those in need?