Frank Ahland
"Da wird geändert, und du weißt nicht wie"
Der Skandal um den Film "Anders als du und ich" von Veit Harlan aus dem Jahr 1957
"There are changes and you don't know how"
The Scandal Around Veit Harlan's 1957 Movie "Anders als du und ich" ("Bewildered Youth")
English abstract
In 1957 Veit Harlan's movie Anders als du und ich (Bewildered Youth) created one of the biggest scandals of Post-War Genpan Cinema. This movie tells about a mother who desperately tries to lead her son back to heterosexual normality after he got into homosexual circles. For the first time, the movie depicts homosexual characters neither as criminal nor as sick. Thus the movie is a milestone of gay cinema.
Theo Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK / Voluntary Self Regulation oft the Movie Industry) censored parts of the movie and these measures eventually distorted the film. All critics regardless of their ideological background objected to the movie either because in their views it was propagating or condemning homosexuality. Harlan himself, who was responsible for many well-known Nazi-films caused strong reaktions in critics of all camps. Crooked reviews are still providing a distorted view on the first West German movie with a gay theme. Half a century after its premiere this article aims to view the movie in a more nuanced manner.