Search - The Legend of Paul and Paula on DVD


The Legend of Paul and Paula
The Legend of Paul and Paula
Actors: Angelica Domröse, Winfried Glatzeder, Heidemarie Wenzel, Fred Delmare, Rolf Ludwig
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Music Video & Concerts
UR     2002     1hr 46min

One of the most popular and controversial of all East German films, Heiner Carow's The Legend Of Paul And Paula is both a romantic and an ironic view of love, with an underlying plea for individual freedom-- landmark film ...  more »

     
1

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actors: Angelica Domröse, Winfried Glatzeder, Heidemarie Wenzel, Fred Delmare, Rolf Ludwig
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Music Video & Concerts
Sub-Genres: Indie & Art House, Love & Romance, Music Video & Concerts
Studio: First Run Features
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic - Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 05/21/2002
Original Release Date: 01/01/1973
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/1973
Release Year: 2002
Run Time: 1hr 46min
Screens: Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Languages: German
Subtitles: English

Similar Movies

The Lives of Others
Blu-ray
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
   UR   2007   2hr 17min
Good Bye Lenin
   R   2004   2hr 1min
The Murderers Are Among Us
Director: Wolfgang Staudte
2
   UR   2002   1hr 21min
The Edukators
Director: Hans Weingartner
   R   2005   2hr 7min
Head-On
Gegen die Wand
Director: Fatih Akin
4
   R   2005   2hr 1min
 

Movie Reviews

Is happiness this difficult to attain?
Sarah Bellum | Dublin, OH United States | 07/23/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"From the title, we assume this film must be about a love story, possibly with fairy tale overtones, between Paul and Paula. After viewing the first half hour or so, we wonder how it will be possible for them to end up together. Both Paul and Paula lead unfulfilled lives, though this misery is the consequence of their own making. Paul fails to detect his wife marries him only because of the possibility he will earn a decent paycheck, and Paula is an equally poor judge of men. (Oddly enough, both settle for carnival folk) Ultimately, we do care what happens to them and really pull for them to find happiness together. The film does take on additional meaning, considering it was made in the formerly Communist East Germany. However, the film is quite universal in its subject matter and the story could be transplanted to any location in the world. The songs are catchy, quite good and are used to great effect throughout the film. The transfer is very good and the subtitles, which are removable, are easy to read. "The Legend of Paul and Paula" is good, though not good enough to earn 5/5 stars. I give the DVD 3.5/5 stars, with 0.5 of that accounting for the care taken to produce the DVD."
BRILLIANT!!!
Elaine J. Campbell | Rancho Mirage, CA United States | 07/06/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this film knowing nothing about it, but based on the comment by the great director, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, when commenting on his film, "The Lives of Others", surely one of the greatest movies ever made, that "The Legend of Paul and Paula" is a wonderful love story. Since I have such great respect for his work, I took him at his word and he did not lead me astray.

The exceptional creativity and originality of the film's director, Heimer Carow, is beyond defining, perhaps except to say that he blends inner truth and outer truth so naturally that they seem as one. This film, about people unfulfilled in their personal lives, who strongly affect each other and come under the spell of romantic love, each understanding that it is a fire that burns fully, then fails and dies, and both knowing that their lives involve duties to others, in the words of Matthew L. Schnuerman, German Life, "became the 'Love Story' of East Germany".

It became so popular that the government ordered media blackouts on the film; still, audiences came in droves, and it remains popular to this day. Under the guidance of a brilliant director, the actors, especially the stars, Angelika Domroese and Winfried Glatzeder, are superb. Ms. Domroese eventually left the country because of the repressive regime.

And let's not forget the wonderful music by the German cult band "The Puhdys." It reminded me of the Beatles in their prime.

This movie is one heck of a good time: moving, funny, and admirable. What filmmaking should be!"
The Classis East German Love Story
Degenhardt76 | USA/Germany | 06/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1970s film was and still is extremely popular in Germany, as it tells a story about every-day life in Eastern Germany with a lot of imagination. Paula is a single mom searching for happiness. Paul is a career bureaucrat who's unhappily married. They dive into the moment, escaping some of the more dreary aspects of their daily routines. The soundtrack of the film is by the East German cult band the Puddys. They actually appear in the film - when Paula goes to a club where she'll meet Paul, you see a life band, particularly the legendary lead singer nicknamed "Maschine" ("Engine"). The song-lyrics are a marvelous example of how artists in a repressive regime managed to subtly express a yearning for freedom. This film is one of the timeless love stories that will touch your heart no matter where you're from."