''On Resonant Shores'' (German: ''An klingenden Ufern'') is a 1948 Austrian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Hans Unterkircher Hans Unterkircher (22 August 1894 – 27 May 1971) was an Austrian stage and film actor and film director. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1916 and 1971. He was born in Graz, Austria and died in Vienna, Austria. Selected filmograph ...

and starring Marianne Schönauer,

Curd Jürgens Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens (13 December 191518 June 1982) was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens. He was well known for playing Ernst Udet in '' Des Teufels Gene ...

and Otto Tressler. The screenplay was by

Alexander Lernet-Holenia Alexander Lernet-Holenia (21 October 1897, in Vienna — 3 July 1976) was an Austrian poet, novelist, dramaturgist and writer of screenplays and historical studies who produced a heterogeneous literary opus that included poetry, psychological ...

who also wrote a novella based on the story. It was shot on location in the Austrian state of Carinthia including at

Gurk Cathedral Gurk Cathedral (german: Dom zu Gurk, officially ''Pfarr- und ehemalige Domkirche Mariae Himmelfahrt'', sl, Bazilika v Krki) is a Romanesque pillar basilica in Gurk, in the Austrian state of Carinthia. The former cathedral and current co-cathed ...

and around

Lake Ossiach Lake Ossiach (german: Ossiacher See, sl, Osojsko jezero) is a lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is the state's third largest lake, superseded only by Wörthersee, Lake Wörth and Millstätter See, Lake Millstatt. Geography It is situ ...

. The film's sets were designed by the art director Ernst Rampak. It was praised by Austrian film critics.Von Dassanowsky p.129

Synopsis

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Maria Burg working as an auxiliary nurse meets a soldier in hospital, Stefan, who in civilian life was a painter. They fall in love but he is called away to the Eastern Front where is reported killed. A distraught Maria is then courted by and marries Alex, a composer, and settles with him in the

Carinthian Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Bavarian group. Carint ...

countryside. When, unexpectedly, Stefan returns from the war alive he finds Maria no longer living in her old home, now a bombed-out house. By chance he is commissioned to do a religious painting of Saint Catherine for a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

in Carinthia. He meets Maria again, after she is recommended to him as a model for the religious icon. However, there is not possibility of resuming their relationship because of her marriage to Alexander, who is in ill health due to his

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...

addiction. However, when Alexander dies Stefan and Maria are finally able to unite as a couple.

Cast

* Marianne Schönauer as Maria Burg *

as Stefan Keller * Cäcilia Kahr as Gabriele Wergeland * Otto Tressler as Abt *

Karl Skraup Karl Skraup (31 July 1898 – 2 October 1958) was an Austrian stage and film actor. From 1947 until his death in 1958 he worked at the Volkstheater in Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = ...

as Onkel Benjamin *

as Alexander Varena * Elisabeth Markus as Frau Rainer * Rudolf Brix as Kilian * Oskar Hugelmann as Wirt *

Hugo Gottschlich Hugo Gottschlich (1905–1984) was an Austrian stage and film actor, who specialised in Viennese character parts.Fritsche p.148 Later in his career he appeared frequently on television. Selected filmography * ''Arlberg Express'' (1948) * '' Frego ...

as Franz Hofer * Karl Köstler as Untersuchungsrichter * Paul Horn as Stabsarzt * Adolf Ario as Unteeroffizier

References

Bibliography

* Fritsche, Maria. ''Homemade Men in Postwar Austrian Cinema: Nationhood, Genre and Masculinity''. Berghahn Books, 2013. * Von Dassanowsky, Robert. ''Austrian Cinema: A History''. McFarland, 2005.

External links

* 1948 films Austrian drama films 1948 drama films 1940s German-language films Films directed by Hans Unterkircher Films with screenplays by Alexander Lernet-Holenia Austrian black-and-white films Sascha-Film films {{Austria-film-stub