Karl May (Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, 1974, West Germany)
Karl May (1974) is the second film in Hans-Jurgen Syberberg’s German trilogy, following Ludwig and preceding Our Hitler . Compared to the other two films in the trilogy, Karl May is relatively straightforward. That’s not to say it doesn’t feel like a Syberberg film - there are certain stylistic choices that betray its director. But compared to the other two films in the trilogy, Karl May almost plays like a conventional biopic, meaning it is largely bounded in time and space and less prone to philosophical discursions or symbolic imagery. The film largely takes place during the end of Karl May’s life and the beginning of the 1900s, when he was embroiled in a number of scandals with his publishers and his ex-wife. These scandals engulfed German newspapers at the time, even drawing the attention of a young Hitler (who is briefly portrayed in the film attending one of May’s trials). May was one of Germany's most popular writers, known for his adventures and westerns. But he is larg...
