The Captain from Köpenick (1956)

Original title

Der Hauptmann von Köpenick

Directed by

Helmut Käutner

Genre

drama film, comedy film

Country

Germany

Runtime

1h 33m

Rated

12

Rating

7.3 of 10 from 55 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A down-on-his-luck cobbler impersonates a Prussian captain and uses the uniform to command soldiers and civilians. The film follows his attempt to gain respect and a passport in a rigid society.

wrysatiricalhistoricalbittersweetmoodyabsurddownbeatthoughtful

What happens

The Captain from Köpenick (German: Der Hauptmann von Köpenick) is a 1956 West German comedy film directed by Helmut Käutner and based upon the 1931 play The Captain of Köpenick by Carl Zuckmayer. The play was based on the true story of Wilhelm Voigt, a German impostor who masqueraded as a Prussian military officer in 1906 and became famous as the Captain from Köpenick. It was nominated for the 29th Academy Awards in the category Best Foreign Language Film. It was shot by Real Film at the Wandsbek Studios in Hamburg. The film's sets were designed by the art director Albrecht Becker and Herbert Kirchhoff. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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