THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN

In the 18th century, at the Russian court, Baron Münchhausen (a real-life character) – narrated by R.E. Raspe – meets Cagliostro who promises him eternal youth and gives him a ring that makes him invisible. After seducing the tsarina, the baron has extraordinary adventures during the war against the Turks. Later, he manages to escape from the Venetian police in a hot-air balloon and takes refuge on the Moon. Once back on Earth, he adopted a normal life and renounced eternal youth. In 1943, he tells his friends about his incredible life…

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, the fourth German film in colour (Agfacolor), was commissioned directly by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. It is the commemorative film for the 25th anniversary of the German production company UFA. Because of the indirectly political dimension of the film, the official budget limit of one million marks set by the UFA was exceptionally abrogated. The screenplay was written by Erich Kästner, an anti-Nazi author of children’s literature who was prosecuted by the Gestapo and refused to leave Germany. He was allowed to write on condition that he signed the film under the pseudonym Berthold Bürger, a name that did not even appear in the credits. The sets and special effects have nothing to envy the big Hollywood productions of the time, yet another demonstration of the great autonomy and refined character of German cinema.