Heart of Stone
It is a peaceful and happy village nestled in a fertile green valley in the Black Forest, the locals joyful and celebrating the arrival of another summer despite their general poverty, the wealthy businessmen sat in the tavern discussing how they can continue to make money and considering the imminent auction which will put the bankrupt glass factory in their possession, mocking those of lowly position such as charcoal seller Peter Munk.
Hopelessly in love with Lisabeth, presumed to be betrothed to Hannes, against the advice of his mother Peter seeks help from Glasmännlein, the “glass imp,” guardian of the forest who will grant him two wishes but counsels for him to use them wisely, then later when his plans falter the more sinister Holländer-Michel, “Dutch Michael,” who trades him a heart of stone, making him cold and unfeeling, advantages in business but not in love.
Based on the story from Wilhelm Hauff’s Märchen Almanach (Fairytale Almanac) of 1826, Heart of Stone (Das kalte Herz, more literally The Cold Heart) was released in 1950, directed by Paul Verhoeven and the first German film shot in the Agfacolour process developed as a rival to Technicolour, starring Lutz Moik as Peter, Hanna Rucker as Lisbeth, Paul Bildt as Glasmännlein, Lotte Loebinger as Peter’s neglected mother and Hannsgeorg Laubenthal as Hannes.
Lisbeth, foolishly in love with the man who carelessly lets her down, abandoning her on their wedding day, Heart of Stone is a conventional cautionary tale of a man who, despite being brought up in poverty, when suddenly confronted with riches has failed to learn the lessons of thrift, moderation or kindness, a smug imbecile who becomes as moody and cruel as Hannes, defrauding business partners when a better opportunity is presented and hoarding gold over all else, quite literally laid down and seduced by greed in the form of Erwin Geschonneck’s towering bear-man of the mountains Holländer-Michel.
A fantasia reminding of the works of Powell and Pressburger which moves through the seasons, with wintery interludes, the theme of redemption and intercessions among the inhabitants of the magical forest, Heart of Stone at times feels like a Christmas film, filled with folk dancing and magnificent costumes of the era, but it is also meandering, and Peter is essentially an unlikeable individual, his lesson learned at great cost to those around him for which he is forgiven, his guilt and sin expunged in an undeserved miraculous redemption in what is still an intermittently fabulous production.
Joining the Masters of Cinema in a 2K restoration of the original 35mm negative, Eureka’s new Blu-ray of Heart of Stone is supported by a commentary by historian Seán Allan, an interview with Soviet cinema expert Claire Knight, a video essay on folktales and Gothic horror by scholar Mary Going and three short animations of the era in keeping with the theme, The Bremen Town Musicians (Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten), The Magic Ring (Der Wunschring) and Thumbelina’s Adventures (Däumelinchens Abenteuer).
Heart of Stone is available on Blu-ray from Eureka now
