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Ernst Thälmann – Son of the Working Class

1954 · 124 min

A solemn, slow-moving historical drama that feels like a staged lesson in political conviction, with moments of genuine tension and loss.

Directed by
Kurt Maetzig
Genres
History, Drama
Starring
Günther Simon, Hans-Peter Minetti, Erich Franz
Overview
This film is the first of a two-part historical and biographical portrait of the communist politician and anti-fascist Ernst Thälmann. In early November 1918, Ernst Thälmann is an unwilling soldier serving on the western front. As the revolutionary movement at home is threatened by the betrayal of the Social Democrats and fissures in the working class, Thälmann calls on his fellow soldiers to put down their weapons and unite with the workers in the communist struggle at home. Thälmann’s qualms about which side he is fighting on continue, but when the local police attempt to prevent a shipment of provisions and supplies from reaching the people in Petrograd, he intervenes and the ship is unloaded. With this moment of clarity, Thälmann continues to follow his political convictions and joins the workers at the Hamburg uprising in October 1923.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Kurt Maetzig
Genres
History, Drama
Starring
Günther Simon, Hans-Peter Minetti, Erich Franz
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 3 of 3
  • bleakstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • class
  • politics
  • power
  • betrayal
  • justice
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
  • military
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • serialised
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror1
Humour1
Realism7
Romance2
Tension5
Darkness6
Complexity4
Emotional weight7

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
history, drama
Directed by
Kurt Maetzig
Written by
Willi Bredel, Michael Tschesno-Hell
Starring
Günther Simon, Hans-Peter Minetti, Erich Franz, Erika Dunkelmann, Johannes Arpe, Raimund Schelcher, Karla Runkehl, Gerhard Bienert
Cinematography
Karl Plintzner
Runtime
124 min
Country
East Germany
Languages
German, Russian

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