Der Schritt vom Wege (The False Step) is a 1939 German drama directed by Gustaf Gründgens based on Theodor Fontane's Effi Briest. It depicts a young woman (Marianne Hoppe) who enters a lonely marriage with an older baron, leading to a brief affair that results in a fatal duel and social ruin. The film critiques strict 19th-century Prussian social codes regarding marriage, honor, and duty.
This is undoubtedly Gründgens' best work by far as a film director.
While it tells a tragic, human story, it operated within the strictures of 1930s German cinema, portraying the rigid Prussian social code, notes the Harvard Film Archive.
One of the major Third Reich films, not to be missed.
It has a well-structured script which inspires following versions and a classically elegant style with judicious use of nature or long shots. Acting is also generally great though Hoppe is totally miscast.
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