L'amour n'est qu'un mot

This surprisingly modern and elegantly directed film is by far one of the best post-war German melodramas and could easily be compared with "Love story", which clearly had an influence on this film. Leaving out most of the critical elements the novel had in its portrayal of West-Germany's post war society and updating the story to the early seventies the films lacks the historical relevance of the book, but leaves more room for an exercise in style and emotion. Performances are all excellent and it is a pity that newcomer Malte Thorsten did not get another chance in the German cinema of the seventies. Judy Winter is perfect as the initially reserved, then more and more enamored wife and Herbert Fleischmann gives an impressive portrait of well-mannered evil, very much in the tradition of Hitchcock and Chabrol. The main musical theme by Erich Ferstl is catchy and the hand-held camera superb. Unfortunately, most German critics of the time were focusing only on the works of Fassbinder, Schloendorff and Herzog, but the film was a big hit in the theaters, sold well internationally and earned Malte Thorsten a well-deserved German film award.

Pretty much an ordinary melodrama of an adulterous affair of a woman with a younger man and the jealous reaction of her husband. Still, it was probably quite a novelty in 1971 with the freshly relaxed censorship situation, e.g. there is more sex and violence than in any Douglas Sirk melodrama. This gives the film an extra tough edge which traditional melodramas are missing and which seems strangely appropriate for the genre, albeit unfamiliar.

The above words might have given you a wrong impression: this film does not feature wild sex orgies rudely interrupted by someone with a large machete. No, it simply pushed the boundaries of the genre into the 1970s. It's the kind of film British TV companies are likely to produce as a TV movie for their after 9pm program slot.