Watch The Kaiser's Lackey For Free

How sad is this?

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

I will not give you all the English-language titles listed here on IMDb for the German 1951 film "Der Untertan". If you do the maths, this film was made 65 years ago and Germany already existed as FRG and GDR. These 105 minutes here come from East Germany and are still among the most known the country has come up with in terms of movies. It is a black-and-white film, but of course already has sound. Writer and director is Wolfgang Staudte and he adapted Heinrich Mann's novel together with his father Fritz into this film. Unfortunately, I cannot say it was particularly good watch. Lead actor Werner Peters plays his part well though and you could see that he was very experienced indeed. I came across him recently in the Oscar-nominated "Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam", for which he won a German Film Award and he appeared in many films in the 1950s and 1960s that are still well-known today.As for "Der Untertan", I guess the main reason I was not too impressed was the monotonous script by father and son Staudte. Or maybe it was also Mann's fault. I have not read his famous "Der Untertan", but I think that it should never be required to read a book in order to appreciate a movie. It does help for sure in understanding the material and plot, but I am off the opinion that it should never be essential. There were some political references in here, but none got me hooked really. Ultimately the story is about a man who follows one model to perfection: Suck up to everybody above you. Look down arrogantly on everybody below you. And he became so obsessed in this pattern that he forgot to honor everything that is dear to him. Or was his wife really dear to him or did he just marry because it fit the emperor's and society's way of thinking? Decide for yourself. The ruins in the end are very telling.And let us be honest: These people exist today as well, actually far too many of them who follow this concept. And it is pretty despicable. I would not call this film here despicable, but I cannot call it a fulfilling watch either. Not recommended.

Banned in Germany at the time of it's original release, due to fears of the movie of idol worship. This movie is now considered an gem for students of German history, particularly those interested in understanding the social class system in Imperial Germany. That's if they can find it. It's a hard movie to find. One of the hard things to figure out is what the name of the movie is, because it goes by with many different names. The first title is 'Der Untertan' which means 'the subject' which is the same name of Heinrich Mann's novel. It has been translated into English under the titles "Man of Straw," "The Patrioteer," 'The Kaiser's Lackey' and "The Loyal Subject" to the point, you don't know which movie, you might get. No matter what title you get, the story is the same. Set during the German Kaisereich, the film does an excellent job at illuminating the amoral world of nationalism. Diedrich Hesserling (Werner Peters) is a fearful man whom use any technique to advance in life to become a right hand man to the Kaiser himself. The man really did like the Kaiser and he was a obedient follower to the point, that he maintains a rigid dedication to the nationalist goals of the German state to anybody that knows him. Throughout the movie, Hessling's inflexible ideals are often contradicted by his actions: he is the strongest proponent of the military and preaches bravery but seeks to be excused from his obligatory military service in a cowardly way. When he got into politics, he hates greatest revolutionary Social Democrats, yet he uses his influence to help Social Democrats candidates win seats at the Reichstag (Congress) so they can defeat his Liberal competitors in business. After they win, he starts vicious rumors against the latter and then dissociates himself from them. He preaches and enforces Christian virtues upon others at his factory, but lies, cheats, and regularly commits infidelity himself. Director Wolfgang Staudte puts a spot on satire comedy of the hypocrisy of bourgeois society and the risk of social collapse in a nation of loyal mindless idolatry of authority citizens with symbolism like the toilet paper containing nationalistic slogans and dance number with pickelhaube helmet wearing dancing girls. Photographed beautifully and intelligently, one of the greatest shots in the film is when Diedrich finally get a chance to meet the Kaiser, and he's such a fan, he is running beside the carriage trying to get his autograph. That is a idolize moment. Staudte's film is expertly made, full of verve and wit and a visual vigor that is quite impressive. The director and his cinematographer, Robert Baberske, shoot the movie at a near-frantic pace, employing extreme angles and comedic manipulations. They enjoy juxtaposing their characters with telling objects, crafting deep focus compositions where Diedrich appears in frame with, say, a symbol of Teutonic grandeur, the symbol overshadowing the man that is in service to it. Staudte and his co-writer, Fritz Staudte, also employ a mocking narrator who barely keeps his disdain for Diedrich at bay. There is never a question that this is a man we are intended to despise. Still the movie is a propaganda film produced in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (East Germany), a Stalinist puppet state at the time. The humor is dry, and it's hard to watch somewhat. The black-and-white full frame image of movie is a fairly decent print. It has much dirt and scratches, but is otherwise clear and unobscured. The downside is that the interlaced transfer makes the image rather soft. The German soundtrack is given a basic mix that is largely clear. There is occasionally some hiss, as well as some unbalanced tones. The English subtitles are easy to read, moderately paced, and free of grammatical problems; they are, however, burned into the picture rather than optional. People who don't like coolly intellectual, literary comedies should not get this. The anti-hero doesn't change for the better and continues to be unlike by some who can't find themselves caring for the character's story. The ending is rather disappointing. In sum, though humorous this film is heavy-handed, unlike Staudte's subtle and truly outstanding 1949 film 'Rotation' which explains German history more incisively, or the 2009 film 'The White Ribbon', which artfully makes many of the same points about Wilhelmine Germany and the sources of Nazism. This film falls somewhat flat.

"Der Untertan" (1951), directed by star-director Wolfgang Staudte, is based on a novel by Heinrich Mann (1871-1950) as "Der Blaue Engel" (1930), directed by Josef Von Sternberg, is. While in "Der Blaue Engel", the protagonist is a person who cannot adapt to the world around him, and when he tries, shamefully stumbles and at the end pays his attempts with his life, the main figure in "Der Untertan" is so-to-say the complimentary character: Although born in an aristocratic, high-class family, surrounded by the world-literature and regular house-concerts and thus widely detached from bourgeoisie, he finds out that he may make carrier by breaking out of this status-group isolation in trying to meddle with politics. He also finds out that for him, the best way is to put hand over hand along the rope that leads upwards while kicking the ones who are coming below him. The result is, however, that he blunders not only in public but often also in his private life. The film has an interesting, yet totalitarian and typical GDR-end which kind of disturbs the otherwise excellently crafted master-piece for which Werner Peters in the role of Dr. Hessling and the director of the film got the Great GDR-State Price.This movie and an extremely impressive list of some hundreds of titles more, meanwhile practically the collected works of the DEFA, the state film company of the former GDR or DDR, we owe to the Department of German Studies of the University of Massachusets at Amherst that has obviously taken over the legacy to maintain and foster the gigantic film work of the "other" Germany which has ceased to exist in 1990.

This is a must see movie. Werner Peters and all the other cast members deliver superb performances. It has got an ensemble of top german character actors playing together on the same high level as we are used to get from the best of Preston Sturges' movies.The photography of Robert Baberske is a sheer delight, both lighting and framing are masterly done.If you have enjoyed Fritz Lang's "M" than you certainly will enjoy this one. The appeal of the story and characters may a bit more specific german, but the moral and "message" is timeless and is true to all western societies.Comedic film jewels like this are not made anymore - this makes it even less understandable that there is no DVD version around yet. (I know for certain that a top notch flawless negative for a digital transfer exists !!!)