The winner of the audience award “Golden Bear“ at the Berlinale 1956 as well as the “Golden Globes“ 1957 for the best film is now released in a completely re-scanned and restored version in full HD. UCM.ONE, in collaboration with CCC Film, is releasing the literary adaptation “Before Sundown” (German original title. “Vor Sonnenuntergang”) based on the play by Gerhart Hauptmann in a limited Mediabook edition.
Summary
It is Matthias Clausen’s 70th birthday. He is celebrating with his family, whom he hates. He knows that everyone wants him to die soon and hopes that this birthday will mark the last stage in his life. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the great inheritance. Clausen, head of an automobile company and honourable citizen of his home town, is showered with honours. In the evening he is glad that the day is over. Clausen deeply resents his relatives, his daughter Ottilie and son-in-law Erich Klamroth, who runs the company, and his son Wolfgang Clausen. He distrusts them and reckons with every conceivable nasty thing. Only Egbert, the youngest in the family, meets him openly and without falsehood. Then Matthias meets a young woman, Inken Peters. She is fresh, likeable and accepts the old man as he is. He hires the young lady as his private secretary. This shakes the rest of the family badly. That the old man might once again walk on his own two feet is out of the question. That would endanger the great inheritance for everyone. Now the hatred for the old man comes to the surface.
So the family council has to meet, apart from Egbert, who does not go along with these intrigues. It is decided to have the old man incapacitated. Inken Peters is openly insulted as a legacy hunter. Matthias Clausen is outraged. His excitement leads to a heart attack, as his health is already failing. Inken begs him to leave this house full of envy, greed and hatred as quickly as possible. Before the two can put their plan into action, Matthias Clausen dies of another fainting spell. Inken is now faced with a shambles…
Comments about the movie
“This time freed from worldly tendencies, with Hans Albers playing more forceful character roles than lovers, surrounded by choice antagonists. Dignifiedly presented with a measured use of the poet’s word.” (Paimann’s Film Lists)
“Annemarie Düringer as Inken Peters has the delicately cranky quality that explains even the oddest liaison. Hans Albers, who plays Clausen, is as stately and winning as ever, even as an aged death row inmate.” (Der Spiegel)
“In this film Hans Albers plays a great character role in the old age department.” (Heinrich Fraenkel: Immortal Film)
More Information about the movie: Vor Sonnenuntergang (German)
