The 2014 Audi Festival of German Films began last night with Christian Alvart’s intriguing BANKLADY about Germany’s first female bank robber, Gisela Werl (1934-2003).
This was a seriously bizarre story. No wonder, that her story caught the attention of a leading German filmmaker.
Gisela was a shy, waif-like factory worker, still living with her parents in her thirties, who in the swinging sixties became Germany’s most wanted women, and led the German police on a merry dance for a very long time. An amazing double life story. Drab factory worker lives a double life as a glamorous femme fatale bank robber.
There’s a scene towards the end of the movie which kind of said it all. The frazzled Detective Inspector who has been on the Banklady case from the beginning finally cracks the case. He barges into Werl’s family home and finds some of the incriminating evidence the he needs. Gisela’s mother is sunken and devastated, reeling on the kitchen chair. It’s however Gisela’s father’s reaction that draws the attention. He covers his face but still can’t stop himself from laughing. He is simply in total and utter disbelief that he’s shy, retiring daughter has become the country’s most wanted female criminal/bank robber.
Director Christian Alvart has come up with a slick, fast paced crime action psychodrama that delivers the goods. The performances of the two leads are wonderful. Gorgeous, erudite and ebullient actress Nadeshda Brennicke played the prized lead role to perfection. She attended the opening night as one of the Festival’s guests and everyone warmed and flocked to her at the party afterwards.
Charly Hubner played her accomplice Hermann Wittorff and the man she fell hopelessly in love with. The two rogues ended up getting married in jail, after they were inevitably captured.
In many ways, BANKLADY is an unremarkable, predictable, genre film…There are the car chases, police bungling et al. Not withstanding this, I just couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen. It’s just such a left field, bizarre story… One is simply gobsmacked.
The Audi Festival of German Films is screening at the Chauvel and Palace cinemas until the 10th April. For more information:- www.goethe.de/ozfilmfest