Overview

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was the author of Werther, the romantic novel that was transformed into a play during Goethe's lifetime and which initiated the whole German romantic movement. The book's story tells of young love and suicide. In this East German film, based on a book by Thomas Mann, Lotte (Lilli Palmer) was the woman who served as the model for the heroine in the novel Werther. She comes to Goethe's hometown for a visit, and her experiences there eerily re-create episodes from the book. Goethe comes across as a pompous old bore, and his friends as pandering sycophants, in this very proper communist party-sponsored, anti-heroic movie.

Genres

Cast

Lilli Palmer

Lotte

Martin Hellberg

Goethe

Rolf Ludwig

Kellner Mager

Hilmar Baumann

August Goethe

Jutta Hoffmann

Adele Schopenhauer

Katharina Thalbach

Ottilie von Pogwisch

Monika Lennartz

Charlotte, Lottes Tochter

Norbert Christian

Professor Meyer

Walter Lendrich

Landkammerrat Ridel

Dieter Mann

Diener Karl

Annemone Haase

Amalie Ridel

Victor Deiß

Stephan Schütze