A fresh and revealing look at Germany in the 1970s that borders on the grotesque

I really like the film "The Main Actor" and, despite its age, I found it insightful, thought-provoking, and entertaining. The plot tells the story of a teenager, Pepe Schikowski (Michael Schweiger), with a difficult personality who is still too young to manage his own life. In turn, his surroundings are mostly people who are full of good intentions, but no one is able to take full responsibility for him. I myself am from Pepe's generation and also grew up in a rural environment, although behind the Iron Curtain in neighboring Poland. "The Main Actor" was particularly interesting to me because it reminded me of the achievements of the Czech school of the 1960s, as well as the cult Polish film "Rejs" from 1970 and the early works of Krzysztof Kieslowski. Like director Reinhard Hauff, these Czech and Polish films also used non-professional actors, which gave them the weight of documents of their era. If one wanted to refer to German cinema of that time, one would have to mention stars such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Wim Wenders. As I mentioned, the film was very fresh, funny and with a great performance by Mario Adorf. At the same time, he did not fall into gloom and pessimism. It also turns out that you don't need a big Hollywood budget to make a good and attractive film.

German cinema is famous for its historical depth, expressionist aesthetics, and social-political engagement. It has moved from Expressionism to political reckoning, from New German Cinema's raw realism to contemporary genre experiments. Its legacy lies in both technical innovation and deep explorations of history, morality, and philosophy.

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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Pepe is 15. His life in social misery changes completely when he is chosen as the main character of a film production. Shot on location where he lives with his primitive, brutal and authoritarian father, a pig farmer.

Michael Schweiger in Der Hauptdarsteller (1977)

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Der Hauptdarsteller

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