Der Hofrat Geiger

DER HOFRAT GEIGER was one of the most commercially successful Austrian post-war films and positioned the Heimatfilm genre prototypically. In contrast to the images of Austria that were later only used as a tourist backdrop, this production still remains permeable at times for fade-ins of reality. “This film is set in today's Austria, which is poor and full of worries,” it says in the opening credits, “but - don't be afraid - it shows you little of that.” In this sense, it continues the program of DIE WELT DREHT SICH VERKEHRT. It also tells the story of a reparation: Geiger strives for reconciliation with the illegitimate daughter Mariandl and her mother, but shifts it to a private, personal level. Here, questions of guilt and responsibility can be negotiated more painlessly. (Ernst Kieninger)