Solo Sunny
(1980/First Run Features DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C Film: C+
The last
major feature film by Konrad Wolf, Solo
Sunny (1980, co-directed by its writer, Wolfgang Kohlhaase) is the
celebrated but somewhat overrated tale of the title lady (Renate Krobner of Go For Zucker, reviewed elsewhere on
this site) who is a singer trying to find a better life for herself and
happiness along the way. However, this
melodrama is somewhat conventional and though the acting is good and its East
Berlin locales a plus, this is a film that wraps up the 1970s freewheeling
period with limited irony.
Rainer
Werner Fassbinder it is not, but some of his influence is here, which is why
this always feels somewhat like an imitator of his works versus what we get
here. Sonny is a likable character,
singer and definitely has something to offer, but the underlying message of the
film is that the feminism of the time in a repressive society like East Germany
offers even less opportunities than the U.S. and there is this low world
standard in respecting women that goes beyond politics and boundaries. Too bad the film can’t do anything with that
angle, but despite its limits, is worth a look.
The letterboxed
1.66 X 1 color image is softer than it ought to be, even when the good color
cinematography by Eberhard Geick (in his debut) does manage to come through and
the look of the film is part of its appeal.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also a few generations down with some
rough audio and decent score by Günther Fischer. Extras include text bio/filmographies and short
film Looking
For Konrad Wolf & Solo Sunny.
- Nicholas Sheffo
