Fünf Patronenhülsen
The Spanish Civil War in the year 1936. Five brigadiers are singled out to stay behind in the Spanish Sierras and fend off the fascist enemy while the rest of the troops recede. They are supposed to rendezvous with a radio operator, but when they get to the meeting point there is nobody there. In search for the missing man, Kommissar Wittig is shot. Before his death he hands over a piece of paper with an important message which the remaining men have to transport across enemy lines. The paper is torn into five pieces and each piece is hidden in a cartridge. An odyssey across the mountain desert begins - with constant fear of enemy fire and dehydration.
- Runtime
- 1h 27m
- Released
- 1960
- Country
- East Germany
Details
Release year: 1960
Storyline
The Spanish Civil War in the year 1936. Five brigadiers are singled out to stay behind in the Spanish Sierras and fend off the fascist enemy while the rest of the troops recede. They are supposed to rendezvous with a radio operator, but when they get to the meeting point there is nobody there. In search for the missing man, Kommissar Wittig is shot. Before his death he hands over a piece of paper with an important message which the remaining men have to transport across enemy lines. The paper is torn into five pieces and each piece is hidden in a cartridge. An odyssey across the mountain desert begins - with constant fear of enemy fire and dehydration.
Top credits
Ernst Busch — Singer
Erwin Geschonneck — Kommissar Wittig
Manfred Krug — Oleg- Edwin Marian — Jose
Did you know
• Because filming could not take place in Spain, and filming in Bulgaria was limited to a few weeks, production designer Alfred Hirschmeier and his crew painted whole mountainsides white, likening the relief in Germany to the one in Bulgaria.
• In order to play the scenes where his character Wasja is close to dehydration most convincingly, 'Uli Thein' did not eat or drink a few days before the most important scenes. His lips got chapped, his eyes grew dimmer, and his acting was very authentic.
See all trivia →User reviews
Strong piece
Five o(w)n it
Suspense and character studies in the Spanish Civil War
Technical specs
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
- Color
- Black and White
Photos 15
