Geschlecht in Fesseln - Die Sexualnot der Gefangenen (1928)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Herbert Juttke (writer)
Georg C. Klaren (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young man is convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to a term in prison. There he forms a close relationship with his cellmate and upon his release his wife is concerned as to how prison has changed the man she married. |

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Manslaughter | Homosexual | Gay Interest | Suicide

Cast

William Dieterle	...	Franz Sommer (as Wilhelm Dieterle)
Gunnar Tolnæs	...	Fabrikant Rudolf Steinau
Mary Johnson	...	Helene Sommer
Paul Henckels	...	Helenes Vater
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski	...	Alfred
Hugo Werner-Kahle	...	Der Abgeordnete
Carl Goetz	...	Strafgefangener #1 (as Karl Goetz)
Friedrich Kurth	...	Strafgefangener #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gerd Briese	...	Staatsanwalt
Arthur Duarte	...	Strafgefangener 3

Also Known As:

Geschlecht in Fesseln
Geschlecht in Fesseln: die Sexualnot der Gefangenen
Sex in Chains (USA) (DVD title)

Runtime:

107 min (1996 restoration)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Essem-Film GmbH

Kino re-release containing gay topic

pretty gutsy of Dieterle and the cast for even taking on this subject way back then; "Sex in Chains" (English-version of the title) can be divided into 4 parts - The first quarter is the love story of husband and wife, Franz and Helene Sommer, and how Franz gets tossed into prison. Part two shows the mental and sexual frustration they both feel being separated for so long; Part three is how they both deal with the "tension", and the last part takes place when they are reunited. Cant really discuss the last part (although I want to !) without giving away the ending of the movie. The middle of this film has the feel of a long documentary, with the plight (and resulting actions) of the separated husband and wife showing the dire need for prison reform. Seems to be about the last film project for mary johnson (Helene)and gunnar tolnaes (Steinau). These two do not appear to have been German citizens anyway, and may have needed to leave the country with the oncoming problems in Germany... Note that, starting in 1931, Dieterle's films all have English titles, as he was now in Hollywood. Plot and film quality are both in much better shape than "Different from the Others", but this one WAS made nine years later. As another reviewer has pointed out, this film is not at all pro-gay rights; the message is more "look what long separation of a married couple ends up doing to them and to society."