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Out of this world, out of this time - this can be easily said about DEFA movies from a country that disappeared 20 years ago: East Germany, DDR (GDR in English). However, it is still alive in some peoples' memories, and can even create new memories in other people. I bought this film today with SuperIllu magazine, just finished watching it. Now what to say? Had I lived some at most 100 km more to the east in 1960, this might have been a highlight in my childhood. Now I'm experiencing (mild) East German propatainment, 49 years later.The fairy tale (Rumpelstilzchen in the Grimm Bros. collection) is somewhat decently retold, but like often, the end lacks the real strength. In the book, the magic midget cries "The devil has told you that!" and tears himself apart from the legs. How often have I read this story to my daughters... and how I waited for this scene... in vain. Instead we get a short sermon about the dangers of greed (which the young king had already found out on his own).In comparison, this lacks the psychedelic looks of Das tapfere Schneiderlein, or the lavish sets and costumes of Dornröschen. It is basically a rendering of a play by Potsdam theatre, pepped up with some close-ups and "special" stop-motion effects. The most surprising scenes were the feet-only takes of everybody searching for rare names (which might even be called a little Eisenstein-ish).And still, I enjoyed it, as a trip to an unreal reality. The young and bankrupt king.. the not exactly beautiful, but therefore even more impressing queen.. a sometimes revolting (see the painted moon) movie experience, but ultimately rewarding film. We don't have time machines yet, but you might watch this to feel out of this time, out of this world.
