Reunion **** (1989, Jason Robards, Christien Anholt, Samuel West) – Classic Movie Review 6804

Reunion is the haunting story of the broken ‘enchanted friendship’ of two teenage boys of different backgrounds in 1932-33 Germany, with Harold Pinter’s distinguished screenplay adapting Fred Uhlman’s novel.

Count Konradin von Lohenburg: ‘I believe in Hitler.’

The 1989 drama Reunion stars 17-year-old Christien Anholt in his film debut as Jewish boy Hans Strauss, the son of a well-to-do Jewish doctor, who is befriended at his new school by German aristocratic ambassador’s son Count Konradin von Lohenburg (Samuel West) in Stuttgart in 1932. But their friendship is tragically destroyed when the Nazis come to power as anti-Semitism breaks out.

In 1988, the now elderly Jewish man Strauss (and now played by Jason Robards) returns to Germany to find out what happened to his best friend Konradin.

Director Jerry Schatzberg’s 1989 film of broken boyhood friendship tells this heart-rending story exquisitely, and the film is beautifully acted by the three principals, who perfectly serve Harold Pinter’s distinguished screenplay from Fred Uhlman’s novel.

There is a terrific sense of period thanks to veteran French production designer Alexandre Trauner, who also appears as the caretaker. Bruno De Keyzer’s Eastmancolor cinematography glows and Philippe Sarde’s emotional score is unobtrusively effective. And, for once, there is a real urgency and command in Schatzberg’s direction.

Like a good friendship, this film is very special.

Christien Anholt and Samuel West in Reunion (1989).

For his debut performance here, Anholt received a Best Actor nomination at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, and won Best Actor at the E’Febo Doro awards in Sicily in 1990. The film was also nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

Also in the cast are Françoise Fabian as Konradin’s mother Countess von Lohenburg, Jacques Brunet as Konradin’s father Count von Lohenburg, Bert Parnaby as Hans’s father Dr Jakob Strauss,  Barbara Jefford as Hans’s mother Frau Strauss, Shebah Ronay as young Countess Gertrud, Dorothea Alexander as old Countess Gertrud, Maureen Kerwin as Henry’s daughter Lisa, Frank Baker as The Zionist, Tim Barker as teacher Zimmermann, Imke Barnstedt as girl in tax building, Gideon Boulting as Prince Hubertus, Alan Bowyer as Bollacher, Rupert Degas as Muller, Robert Dietl as gardener at Old Grafin’s, Nicholas Pandolfi as Reutter, and Roland Schäfer as Judge Freisler on TV and Gerhard Fries as Brossner.

Samuel West and Christien Anholt in Reunion (1989).

Reunion (aka L’Ami Retrouvé, or Der Wiedergefundene Freund) is directed by Jerry Schatzberg, runs 110 minutes, is made by Les Films Ariane, FR3, NEF, CLG Films, Arbo, Berlin Film Commission and TAC, is released by Rank Film Distributors, is written by Harold Pinter, based on Fred Uhlman’s novel, is shot in Eastmancolor by Bruno De Keyzer, is produced by Anne Françoise, is scored by Philippe Sarde, and is designed by Alexandre Trauner.

Rupert Degas makes his film debut in Reunion. He is now best known for his voice work in animation and audiobooks.

Schatzberg recalled: ‘Pinter had an ending that seemed like a new beginning or a continuation.’ But Schatzberg thought his idea for the ending was closer to the book and asked Pinter to write both versions so he could film both. When Schatzberg nervously screened his version, Pinter loved it.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6804

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com