Heinz Ruehmann was the most beloved screen star of the 20th century in Germany and remains the very embodiment of the mythical 'little man' in German culture. There's nothing slight about his directing talent, however, as displayed in this tender and moving romance about a couple who find each other one New Year's Eve, lose each other and struggle for years to find each other again. Beautifully scripted, shot and acted, with fine performances from all the principal players and sweetly evocative music by Ruehmann's favourite screen composer Werner Bochmann. Erich Ponto puts in a wonderfully deadpan performance as the butler Barnabas and Susanne Von Almassy is charming as the big-hearted Vera, but the film belongs above all to female lead Hertha Feiler, who was also Ruehmann's wife. It's just a pity that Ruehmann - who starred in so many films, from the 1920s through to the 1990s - directed only five.
Review of Der Engel mit dem Saitenspiel
