"Pünktchen und Anton" is the picturization of a novel by Erich Kästner, the famous German writer of children books. It was first picturized in 1953. The DVD just came out and I guess I will purchase it and maybe review this version, which is also very good, at a later time.
The story: Pünktchen and Anton, both 10 years old, are very good friends. Pünktchen's father is a surgeon and very rich, while Anton's father is dead (at least that's what the boy is told) and his mother quite poor. Pünktchen's mother is a woman who rather travels round the world than care for her daughter, while Anton's mother is very loving and caring, but right now lies in bed due to an affection of her bronchial tubes. For that reason Anton has to do his mother's work at the ice cream parlor on the first floor of their apartment house. This forces him to do his homework late in the night and so he is always sleepy at class.
One day Anton hears his mother talking to someone on the phone. She gets into an argument with that person and ends the conversation shouting "he's your son after all!" Was Anton's father on the phone? Does he still live?
On another day, Anton is invited to Pünktchen's home. Overwhelmed by all the wealth that he sees there, he steals a valuable lighter in order to pay the vacation at the North sea, which his mother would need so much to cure her illness. But when the latter finds out about the theft, she gets angry and returns the lighter to Pünktchen's mother. Anton gets desperate and so he steals a van in order to drive to Berlin - to look for his father. Well, he doesn't get far. Pünktchen, now aware of Anton's desperate situation, starts collecting money for him by singing at the "Stachus", a well known place in Munich...
Of course, Pünktchen isn't able to make the 1000 Deutschmarks (yes, we still had a strong currency in 1999
) needed for Anton's and his mother's vacation, but when Anton discovers the dishonorable intentions of an employee of the ice cream parlor and saves the day for Pünktchen's parents, they decide to invite Anton and his mother to a vacation at the North Sea.These are the two main advantages of the film:
- The story is told in a very heart-warming and funny way and we are introduced to a wonderful friendship between a boy and a girl
- The movie criticizes parents who don't take some time for their children and it tells us that a loving relation between a mother and her son is more important than materially wealth
- The film kind of focuses on Pünktchen; especially in the second half of it, we don't see too much of Anton
Let me now introduce two of the DVD's special features to you:
These are some notes about Max and the film (I edited the image and made one out of two pages). Let me try to translate as good as I can:
"At the time of shooting 'Pünktchen und Anton', Max Felder was ten years old and went to school in Munich. The open minded and smart boy always knew what he wanted to become: a stuntman or an actor. Therefore he didn't give in until his mother reacted to an ad in the 'Süddeutsche Zeitung' (newspaper) and was invited to the casting. For the shooting of the Erich-Kästner-picturization he sacrificed the whole summer vacation and finds that acting is work, but 'fine work'. An impressing experience to him was the chase in the film where he even was allowed to fly with the chopper briefly. But the greatest thing was when suddenly some girls were asking for autographs. 'That was lovely!'."
The other feature I would like to introduce to you is an interview with Max:
This is not the kind of "interview" you are used from North American featurettes, which are for advertising purposes only and where the actors are told what to say. This interview is completely natural and hence very cute.
Let me translate some highlights for you:
Q: What do you like about Anton?
A: Hm, Anton is simply a good boy. He lives alone, but he sometimes helps Pünktchen when she's in trouble; he's also helpful.
Q: What do you like about Pünktchen?
A: Pünktchen is pert, she's droll, cheerful and imaginative.
Q: Would you act just like Anton?
A: (firm) I guess so. He rules everything with his fists, which I don't do, ... (hesitates) I talk (smiles).
Q: What do you like about Caroline Link?
A: She's very kind, she's open minded; I find her very nice.
Q: What would you like to be one day?
A: Stuntman or actor. Actually, rather stuntman... stuntman, that's something exciting.
Q: How was casting?
A: Well, I went to a casting and had to introduce myself; and then I got a text that I had to learn by heart and at the next casting I was asked to say it. Then there was a delay for a quarter of a year and then it was chosen who should play Anton.
Q: Why were you sure that you get the role?
A: I cannot say that; I was just cocksure that I get the role.
Q: What other hobbies do you have?
A: I like doing things with friends, I like to play Jo-Jo, I like to bicycle, to inline skate, to go out playing soccer.
Q: Do you like sports?
A: I cannot affirm that exactly... but I'm quite good at sports.
Q: Would you do for Pünktchen what Anton does?
A: Yes. If we were good friends, if we were in the same situation, I would do it.
Q: Do you think it is just that there are poor and rich people?
A: Yes, kind of, because there cannot be only rich people; that would be boring.
Q: But the poor are not so well, aren't they?
A: (Agreeing) That's not nice, of course. One should rather help them.
Q: What was your favorite scene?
A: When Anton steels a bus since he has a dispute with his mother and he wants to look for his father and drives away with a bus; in front of him flies a police chopper and he nearly has an accident and drives into the wheat field.
Q: Why was that your favorite scene?
A: That was something where you could experience something, that was exciting!
