The film adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novel of the same name tells the story of the rise and fall of a Lubeck merchant family. While the diligent Thomas Buddenbrook (Peter Esser) organizes the transport of large grain shipments for his hometown, his reckless brother Christian (Alfred Abel) bungles an important money transfer. Their sister Antonie, known as Tony (Hildegard Imhoff), is unhappily married and the pressure on the head of the family mounts. The three screenwriters Luise Heilborn- Körbitz, Alfred Fekete and Gerhard Lamprecht radically condensed the 1,000-page book and did not shy away from rewriting the ending. The production company also wanted to modernize the material, a change that is particularly evident in the scenes set in the pleasure palace. The opening credits therefore state: “Based on motifs from the novel of the same name”. The author Thomas Mann distanced himself from the work. The press, however, praised the screenwriters for their successful adaptation, and the film was also a hit with audiences. The film helped the 25-year-old director Lamprecht – later the founder of the Deutsche Kinemathek – make his breakthrough. The digitally restored tinted print was created from two nitrate prints from the holdings of the Federal Archives and the Filmarchiv Austria, as well as a 16mm film print from the director’s estate at the Deutsche Kinemathek. Following the 2K restoration, the film has now been reinstated to its approximate original length of 105 minutes. The music is by the composer and video artist Marco Brosolo. His influences range from Giuseppe Becce (the conductor at the premiere of the film) to songs from the time the film was made, blended with early electro-acoustic sounds.

Kristina Jaspers