Volker Schlöndorff, a legendary filmmaker and Cannes regular, reflects on his illustrious career and the impact of his films. With a career spanning six decades, Schlöndorff has left an indelible mark on cinema, particularly with his exploration of European history and the fault lines of morality and survival. His films, such as 'The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum' and 'The Tin Drum', have traced the complexities of fascism, terrorism, and the uneasy compromises between morality and survival.
Schlöndorff's personal journey is deeply intertwined with his filmmaking. Born in Germany during the war, he spent his formative years in France, absorbing the intellectual rigor of the French New Wave. This early period in France had a profound influence on him, shaping his worldview and artistic approach. His friendship with Billy Wilder further enriched his perspective, teaching him the importance of balancing his profession with personal life.
Cannes holds a special place in Schlöndorff's heart. His debut feature, 'Young Törless', caused an immediate scandal at the festival in 1966, with a German cultural attaché storming out of the screening, declaring it not a German film. However, this publicity was beneficial, and Schlöndorff's films have repeatedly returned to Cannes, sometimes triumphantly, sometimes less so. His breakthrough came in 1979 with 'The Tin Drum', which shared the Palme d'Or with Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now'. This symbolic pairing represented the meeting of New German Cinema and New Hollywood at the height of their artistic ambition.
'The Tin Drum' not only brought Schlöndorff international recognition but also clarified the themes that had always driven him. History, in his cinema, is never background; politics enters private lives whether invited or not. This worldview is shaped by his biography, his upbringing in postwar West Germany, and his engagement with the ideological tumult of the time. Schlöndorff sympathized with the anger driving student movements and pushed back against those condemning the radicals, including the Red Army Faction.
Despite his success, Schlöndorff has also faced detours. He turned down offers from Hollywood, including an episode of 'The Twilight Zone', and made films like 'Swann in Love' and 'Death of a Salesman'. However, his return to Germany and his work reviving Studio Babelsberg after the fall of the Berlin Wall marked a significant shift in his career, albeit one that he now views as necessary but frustrating.
In his latest film, 'Visitation', Schlöndorff explores the role of the artist under authoritarianism and the fragility of private happiness. Set across decades, the film traces how political systems reshape ordinary lives, whether their occupants acknowledge it or not. This return to the Nazi era and East Germany is a familiar territory for Schlöndorff, one he has explored throughout his career.
Despite his long and illustrious career, Schlöndorff remains surprisingly unburdened by it all. He speaks about the unpredictability of a filmmaking life with the same unsentimental clarity his films bring to history. With a sense of gratitude for his peak moments, he embraces the challenges and detours as part of the journey, stating, 'Je ne regrette rien' - I have no regrets.
