The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
DVD cover
Directed by	Werner Herzog
Produced by	Werner Herzog
Written by	Werner Herzog
Starring	Bruno Schleinstein Walter Ladengast
Music by	Florian Fricke
Cinematography	Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein
Edited by	Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus
Production company	Werner Herzog Filmproduktion Filmverlag der Autoren ZDF
Distributed by	Werner Herzog Filmproduktion
Release dates	November 1, 1974 (1974-11-01)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	West Germany
Language	German English

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (German: Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle)^{[Note 1]} is a 1974 German drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog and starring Bruno Schleinstein and Walter Ladengast.^[1] The film follows the real story of foundling Kaspar Hauser quite closely, using the text of actual letters found with Hauser.

Plot

The film follows Kaspar Hauser (Bruno Schleinstein), who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man, wearing a black overcoat and top hat, who feeds him.

One day, in 1828, the same man takes Hauser out of his cell, teaches him a few phrases, and how to walk, before leaving him in the town of Nuremberg. Hauser becomes the subject of much curiosity, and is exhibited in a circus before being rescued by Herr Daumer (Walter Ladengast), who patiently attempts to transform him.

Hauser soon learns to read and write, and develops unorthodox approaches to logic and religion; but music is what pleases him most. He attracts the attention of academics, clergy and nobility, but is then physically attacked by the same unknown man who brought him to Nuremberg. The attack leaves him unconscious with a bleeding head. He recovers, but is again mysteriously attacked; this time, stabbed in the chest.

Hauser rests in bed describing visions he has had of nomadic Berbers in the Sahara Desert, and then dies. An autopsy reveals an enlarged liver and cerebellum.

Historical accuracy

The film follows the real story of Kaspar Hauser quite closely, using the text of actual letters found with Hauser, and following many details in the opening sequence of Hauser's confinement and release. One notable departure is with his apparent age: although the historical Hauser was 17 when he was discovered in Nuremberg and the film implies this, the character is played by actor Bruno Schleinstein, who was 41 years old at the time of filming. Nevertheless, Schleinstein's character is treated and described throughout as a youth.

Cast

• Bruno Schleinstein as Kaspar Hauser
• Walter Ladengast as Professor Daumer
• Brigitte Mira as Kathe, Servant
• Reinhard Hauff as Farmer
• Herbert Fritsch as Mayor
• Florian Fricke as M. Florian
• Henry van Lyck as Calvary Captain
• Willy Semmelrogge as Circus director
• Michael Kroecher as Lord Stanhope
• Hans Musäus as Unknown Man
• Marcus Weller
• Gloria Doer as Frau Hiltel
• Volker Prechtel as Hiltel the prison guard
• Herbert Achternbusch as Bavarian Chicken Hypnotizer
• Wolfgang Bauer
• Wilhelm Bayer as Taunting Farmboy
• Franz Brumbach
• Johannes Buzalski as Police Officer
• Helmut Döring as Little King
• Enno Patalas as Pastor Fuhrmann
• Clemens Scheitz as Registrar
• Alfred Edel as Logic Professor
• Andi Gottwald as Young Mozart
• Kidlat Tahimik as Hombrecito^[2]

Production

Casting

Herzog discovered the lead actor, Bruno Schleinstein, in a documentary about street musicians. Fascinated, Herzog cast him as the lead in two of his films, The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser and Stroszek, despite the fact that he had no training as an actor. Schleinstein's own life bears some similarities to Kaspar Hauser's, and his own unbalanced personality was often expressed on set. In Herzog's commentary for the English language DVD release, he recalls that Schleinstein remained in costume for the entire duration of the production, even after shooting was done for the day. Herzog once visited him in his hotel room, to find him sleeping on the floor by the door, in his costume.

The Production Designer for the film was Henning Von Gierke, the Costume Designers were Ann Poppel and Gisela Storch.^[1]

Filming locations

The outdoor scenes were filmed in the town of Dinkelsbühl and on a nearby mountain called Hesselberg.

• Croagh Patrick, Westport, Mayo, Ireland (archive footage)
• Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria, Germany
• Western Sahara

Music soundtrack

The music of several classical composers is featured in the film's soundtrack, including pieces by Johann Pachelbel, Orlando di Lasso, Tommaso Albinoni, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Awards

The film was part of the competition for the Palme d'Or at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won three awards - the FIPRESCI Prize, the Grand Prize of the Jury and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.^[3][4] The film also won three prizes at the German Film Awards in 1975.^[5] The film was selected as the German entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 48th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.^[6]

See also

• Feral child
• List of submissions to the 48th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of German submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References

Notes

Citations

External links

• The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser at the Internet Movie Database
• The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser at AllMovie