The Child I Never Was
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Film: C+
Murder and homosexual repression are a stereotypical
combination, even when examined with any kind of seriousness or ironic
distance. Kai S. Pieck’s The Child I
Never Was (aka Ein Leben lang kurze Hosen tragen, 2002) wants to be
another post-examination of Jurgen Bartsch and why he killed, but we have been
here before with the Leopold & Loeb Murders most recently in Swoon
(1992) which also used flashback to somehow tell the story clearer.
Yes, there is the systematic abuse and the sexual desires
that get worse as he tries to suppress it more and more. This is all in flashback as the older Jurgen
(Sebastian Urzendowsky) sits in front of a video camera confessing. It has this annoying “green vision” that
becomes obnoxious very quickly and was a huge mistake to overuse. Though the film does not explicitly link
gayness and killer instincts, it does not refute them either, proving the film
is more likely confused that its lead character. The younger Jurgen (Tobias Schenke) is more convincing because he
has the freedom to show the development of how Bartsch slowly went down the
path of mental illness.
Pieck based his screenplay on the Paul Moor book and
actual Bartsch writings, but could not get beyond a book-like presentation,
which ultimately leads to nowhere. Too
bad, because the acting is good and the material potentially interesting. This was Pieck’s feature debut and sheer
inexperience ruins the obviously ambitious project. Maybe he’ll do better next time.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is a mix of
that bad video look and film footage they should have stuck with for the most
part. Cinematographer Egon Werdin has
some talent, but it is stifled by this arrangement. The Dolby Digital 2.0 German Stereo has no Pro Logic surrounds,
but is a clean, clear, pretty music-free recording. The only extras a four trailers for other Strand Releasing
titles.
- Nicholas Sheffo
