Die Geierwally

This much filmed film nineteenth Century piece, here becomes an unappealing if well crafted costume drama with characteristic War Time bombastic performance style. It's tempting to try an relate it to Nazi ideology.

It is both a berg film with a brief roping down the mountain scene and a montage of music to go with clouds squashed with an anamorphic lens. It's also a heimatfilm, kicking off with Hatheyer and her dad Köck in Tyrolean costume reaping against a mountain peak back ground and rolling on through folklorico inn, funeral and festival scenes. This is not all that interesting but the story is worse. No one generates much sympathy.

Add in some odd developments. No one is disturbed about killing the vulture to steal it's chick and Hatheyer's romantic idol, a middle aged Rist mocks her as the Vulture Girl while her also over aged suitor Esterle goes about beating people with lumps of wood. Her dad also takes the stick to Heidemarie when she scorns Esterle, his choice of husband. She is banished to a solitary existence in a mountain hut accompanied only by the tamed vulture. The bird however comes in useful, tapping Lassie style on mountaineer von Schlettow's window to alert him to her lying in the snow.

Hatheyer becomes head of the house, in her turn a mean authority figure denigrating believed rival Markus. Then Heidemarie puts on her big fur hat and it's on again off again with Rist.

Hatheyer in heavy lip gloss is a presentable if rather stocky lead. Director Harlan is able to muster the heavy weight film making talent effectively but not able to present a compelling drama for them to deliver.