Notes on “Der Dritte” (DEFA 1972)
November 14th, 2009 at 18:26Ambiguity. “Oh please!” I whisper to myself impatiently. I don’t like this film. I find it boring, contrived, superficial. I’m relieved when the credits appear. One hundred and seven minutes of pseudo conflicts and superficial propaganda — no depth, no subtleties, no space for interpretation. And yet, ever since I left the movie theatre this mellow summer night in 2003 I’ve been strangely drawn to DER DRITTE. Why? Perhaps because DER DRITTE is not just one film, but two. The first one I forgot about quickly; the other one has lodged itself in my unconscious (now and then short scenes, like flashbacks, force themselves upon me). Everyone who has seen DER DRITTE knows the first one; I may have been the only one who registered the other one. The first one tells a story; the other one does not. It’s time to examine my double vision: DER DRITTE. (more…)
