A German student, Stefan (Klaus Grünberg), who has completed his mathematics studies, decides he needs an adventure to get him out of his conservative skin and to burn his bridges. After hitch-hiking to Paris, he makes a new friend named Charlie (Michel Chanderli ) while playing cards in a bar and they decide to commit a burglary to get some money. While on this journey, he meets a free-spirited American girl called Estelle (Mimsy Farmer) and follows her to Ibiza.
Stefan discovers Estelle is involved with a former-Nazi German man called Dr. Ernesto Wolf (Heinz Engelmann). Stefan saves Estelle from Dr. Wolf only to find she does not really want to be saved, and she introduces him to heroin, which they refer to by the old street name “horse,” which she stole from Dr. Wolf.
Stefan is initially against Estelle using heroin, but having used it previously, she persuades him to try it. Soon Stefan and Estelle are both heavily addicted to heroin. They try to break the addiction using LSD and initially manage to stay clean for a short time. However, after a short while they’re both using heroin again. Unable to break free of the addiction, it quickly spirals out of control leading to a tragic end for Stefan.
This movie defies any easy description of it. What makes it so great is the way it transcends the confines of normal film narrative. And Pink Floyd does deserve a lot credit for that transcendent feel. The cinematographer and the great locations also have a lot to do with the feel of this picture. The actual plot is somewhat pedestrian. Two youths dropping out further and further. Both however are played by very appealing actors and Mimsy Farmer is especially interesting.
She plays her role with a cool and naturalness making her seem like the very incarnation of the sixties spirit both the creative and destructive side of it. The male lead has less star appeal but he is solid. Its her movie though. Hers and the blue seas, and the soundtrack. Barbet Schroeder is not serving any script, rather he is capturing a mood, the story is incidental to the music.
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Year of Release: 1968
Character to watch: Klaus Grünberg as Stefan Brückner.
Journal your answers to the following questions after you watch the movie.
- How does this particular character’s journey compare with yours?
- Did the character develop certain characteristics during the movie that you have or that you would like to have? If so, what are those characteristics?
- What obstacles did this character face? What was his or her biggest challenge?
- What would you have done differently if you had been in the same position as the character?
- Is this character the type of person you would be friends with? Why or why not?