WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT/ ALS HITLER DAS ROS KANINCHEN STAHL

Germany, 2020, 119 minutes, Colour.
Riva Krymalowski, Marinus Hohmann, Carla Juri, Oliver Masucci, Justus von Dhonanyi, Ursula Werner.
Directed Caroline Link.

The novel by Judith Kerr, British media and writing celebrity (longtime married to Nigel Neill, creator of the Quarter mass stories) was very popular, translated into 20 languages, the German television film produced in 1978.

Now, this film directed by Caroline link (Dir of the Oscar-winning Best Foreign Language Film of 2003, Nowhere in Africa), takes audiences back to Germany of almost 90 years ago. It is 1933, February, 10 days before the elections and the possible assumption of leadership by Adolf Hitler (and his forming a coalition to become chancellor).

This is a Jewish story, the story of our family, comfortable in Berlin, parents, son and daughter, housekeeper, whose life is suddenly transformed, their having to leave Berlin instantly, becoming Jewish refugees, in Switzerland, in Paris, and, with the final image of the film, on the ferry looking at the white cliffs of Dover where England is to be their home.

The story is seen through the eyes of the two children but, especially, through the eyes of nine year old Anna who turns 10 while in Switzerland. She is played by Swiss young actress, Riva Lrymalowski (who would seem to have a successful career ahead of her), Anna, with Marina’s home and has Max, three years older than Anna. They are at school, with friends, comforts at home, almost spoilt, a loving housekeeper, a father who dotes on his children, a loving mother. The father has the flu – and a sudden phone call means that he has to flee immediately to Prague, then to Switzerland, and then almost immediately, the rest of the family having to escape from Berlin, a train ride, the German passport control thinking the name familiar, but a contrasting welcoming from the Swiss passport control.

In fact, the father, Arthur, is a celebrated theatre critic in Berlin, definite in his opinions, but also an even fierce a critic of Nazism. Dorothea, his wife, is a pianist. The first half hour of the film shows the family in Berlin, life and atmosphere of that February 1933. The second half hour of the film has the family in Switzerland, out in the beautiful countryside, the Alps, welcomed by a family at an inn, the children going to school, making friends, Arthur trying to earn money by writing articles but the Swiss apprehensive, wanting to maintain and neutrality with Germany.

The last hour of the film takes place in Paris where the family again take refuge, living upstairs in a dingy apartment, a cranky landlady who becomes more and more locally anti-Semitic, managing on a small salary that Arthur will receive by being a theatre critic and Paris for a Jewish paper. The emphasis is on how difficult it is for young children to try to understand, to live with changes to their comfortable lives, to managing while being poor, to adapt in language to new schools, to realise that they are Jewish refugees and may have to continue to be so.

Arthur tries to do his best for his family, sometimes sporting them, the cake for his wife, some as cargo for his only son, Christmas trees, president of Scott present school bags… But, the children are adaptable, do particularly well at school, and having to learn all the dates of Napoleon’s victories – which leads to Arthur writing a screenplay about Napoleon, submitting it to accompany in England, opening up a possible future. It is 1934.

The style of the film is classic film storytelling, straightforward, some touches of the epic, other touches of the domestic, with some contemporary audiences looking for more stylistic flair and experimentation dissatisfied. But, for most audiences who appreciate this, albeit old-fashioned, classic style, will find this a moving story.

1. The title? International popularity? The novel and the adaptation?

2. 1933 – 1934, Berlin, homes, school, the streets, neighbourhoods? Switzerland, the beauty of the Alps, the town, homes, school, countryside? Paris, the city, familiar views, apartments, restaurants, business? The glimpse of the white cliffs? The musical score?

3. The title, the tone, the focus on Hitler, the rise of the Nazis, the 1933 elections, persecution of the Jews, confiscation of passports, concentration camps, Jewish refugees?

4. The portrait of the family, the father and his role as a critic, outspoken against the Nazis? Under threat? The mother, aunts, pianist? Max, his age, school, personality? Anna, her age, school, precocious, yet childlike, her toys – and the dilemma between taking the dog and the pink rabbit?

5. The maid and housekeeper, the bond with the family, with the children, the later phone calls, their happy memories?

6. The situation in Berlin, Arthur and the flu, the phone call, his escape suddenly to Prague, the move to Switzerland? The need for the family to move? The visit from Uncle Julius and his warnings? Packing, unable to tell friends, the neighbour watching, the train to Switzerland, the German authorities and questioning the name, the welcoming Swiss authorities? The hotel, expense, Anna’s’ collapse in the flu?

7. The Swiss setting and the village, the kindly family taking them in, Arthur and his trying to write, the Swiss wary about having his criticisms, wanting neutrality, the trip on the lake, his speech? Dorothea, adapting to life in Switzerland, giving up possessions, the piano? Max, with the boys, school, adapting? Anna, sadness, her page with the crosses hoping for return home, the girls at school, the cartwheels and the criticism, the boys throwing stones, symbol of love? The change of pace? The language and Swiss German? The food, the melted cheese…?

8. Anna, her 10th birthday, the celebration, on the lake, the realisation that they would have to move?

9. Arthur and Dorothea going to Paris, the children upset, their father returning, the farewell, arriving in Paris, the apartment, the touch of the dingy, the fascist neighbour and her criticisms, the landlady and her demands, the rent, emerging anti-Semitism, her outbursts?

10. The family surviving in France, Max and his going to school, the Christmas gift of the school bags, Max and his adapting, language, success and topping the class? Anna, at home, her drawings of disasters, her drawing of the booklet with the Eiffel Tower and its movement, beginning to learn French, the public school, the girls, the uniform, the teacher, the dictation and errors, adapting, writing the story of her father, winning the prize, the money? Retrieving the corns from the monument pool?

11. Arthur and the encounter with the theatre director, the friendly gesture, Arthur and his arrogant condemnation of the director? The director’s wife, the phone call, Dorothea and the children going to visit, the food, the company, and Dorothea and the piano duet? Arthur severe reaction? Dorothea standing her ground?

12. Arthur and the newspaper, the invitation to be the theatre critic, the limited payment? The family poor, unable to afford things? Arthur spoiling Dorothea with the cake? The hungry Max with the snails? Christmas tree, the Christmas gifts? Celebrating Christmas as a German feast?

13. The film tracing the pressures on the family, on Arthur, his past reputation, the responsibility of supporting his family, Dorothea and her support, adapting to poverty, learning to cook, badly…? The children, the childhood response to the difficulties?

14. Uncle Julius, the Jewish grandmother, work at the zoo, the bond with his family, the visits, his being sacked, his death in the news? The gift of the animals, the elephants?

15. The classes on Napoleon, Anna memorising the dates, the comments, Arthur deciding to write the screenplay, acceptance in England?

16. Leaving the apartment, the landlady at her outburst? On the ferry, the site of the white cliffs?,

17. The story from the perspective of the children, from Anna’s perspective, aged 10?

18. The consequent information about Judith Kerr, settling in England, her writings?