Request Concert

1940 [GERMAN]

Action / Musical / Romance / War

4
IMDb Rating 5.9/10 10 216 216

Plot summary

The young, attractive Inge Wagner becomes acquainted with Herbert Koch during the Berlin Olympics, his flight officer insignia having first caught her eye. Sparks fly immediately between the two and they soon decide to marry. But Herbert is called off on a secret mission in Spain.

Director

Eduard von Borsody Photo
Eduard von Borsody

Top cast

Aribert Mog Photo
Aribert Mog as Leutnant v. Zülkow
Elise Aulinger Photo
Elise Aulinger as Frau Schwarzkopf
Gustav Püttjer Photo
Gustav Püttjer as Matrose
Albert Florath Photo
Albert Florath as Physician
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
931.51 MB
996*720
German 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 41 min
Seeds ...
1.69 GB
1440*1040
German 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 41 min
Seeds 2

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by juliaelmaghraby 6 / 10

Entertainment and Propaganda in Nazi Germany

Wunschkonzert (1940) combines a romantic storyline with clear messages that reflect the ideals of the Nazi regime. Directed by Eduard von Borsody, the film begins at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The tone is set with the imagery of the Olympics with scenes that emphasize national pride and collective spirit. These images establish the connection between personal lives and the broader goals of the state.The movie tracks Ilse Werner's character and Carl Raddatz's Luftwaffe officer as they navigate love and duty. Their relationship often takes a backseat to military service, showing how individual desires are secondary to national responsibilities. This theme is reinforced by the central role of the "request concert," which ties the characters' lives to the similar lives of the likely German audience. The concert serves as a unifying element, blending entertainment with a sense of collective purpose.The film uses visual techniques like crowd scenes and shots of synchronized movements to form an idea of community. These choices make this theme of community seem very important, reflecting the values promoted by the regime. At the same time, the musical elements, which are introduced late in the film, feel disconnected from the main story. This uneven pacing can make the film feel fragmented, which some critics have noted as a weakness.Scholars, including Eric Rentschler in The Ministry of Illusion, have pointed out that films like Wunschkonzert were designed to provide comfort while reinforcing political ideas. The mix of romance, music, and military imagery in the film shows how entertainment was used to deliver subtle ideological messages.The film may not be everyones cup of tea but it does offer the audience an idea of how cinema was used during Nazi Germany.
Reviewed by Lars-65 6 / 10

Lighthearted musical entertainment for audiences in WW2 Germany

`Wunschkonzert' (Request Concert) – whose inspiration came from Goebbles – provides an idealised self-portrait of National Socialism's society of spectacle. It starts with Hitler's arrival at the 1936 Olympics and takes us on a tour of Berlin. Its subsequent points of interest include the battlefield of war, an affair of the heart, and above all a popular radio broadcast that binds private destinies to an imaginary collective fate. The film features many of Germany's movie- and show-stars. `Wunschkonzert' is filled with popular (German) songs of the 1930s and 40s and therefore, was a big success with the soldiers on the front.
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