''The Good Soldier Schweik'' (German:''Der brave Soldat Schwejk'') is a 1960 West German comedy film directed by

Axel von Ambesser Axel Eugen Alexander von Oesterreich (22 June 1910 – 6 September 1988), better known as Axel von Ambesser, was a German playwright, actor and film director. Ambesser's father was Alexander Constantin von Oesterreich. Ambesser was born in Hambur ...

. Based on the satirical novel ''

The Good Soldier Švejk ''The Good Soldier Švejk'' () is an unfinished satirical dark comedy novel by Czech writer Jaroslav Hašek, published in 1921–1923, about a good-humored, simple-minded, middle-aged man who pretends to be enthusiastic to serve Austria-Hungary i ...

'' by

Jaroslav Hašek Jaroslav Hašek (; 1883–1923) was a Czech writer, humorist, satirist, journalist, bohemian and anarchist. He is best known for his novel '' The Fate of the Good Soldier Švejk during the World War'', an unfinished collection of farcical incide ...

it depicts the adventures of a simple Czech soldier during World War I. The film features

Heinz Rühmann Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann (; 7 March 1902 – 3 October 1994) was a German film actor who appeared in over 100 films between 1926 and 1993. He is one of the most famous and popular German actors of the 20th century, and is considered a Ge ...

as the protagonist Schweik, and was nominated for the 1962

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

Plot summary

The Czech survivalist Schweik (played by

) is a dog trader based in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

. He gets charged for

lèse-majesté Lèse-majesté () or lese-majesty () is an offence against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or the state itself. The English name for this crime is a borrowing from the French, w ...

and is supposed to be jailed, but when the court finds him to be dim-witted, he is instead committed to a mental asylum. There, the doctors examine his physical and mental status. When one of the physicians accuses Schweik of being a simulator, Schweik assures him that he is an officially approved imbecile. When

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

breaks out in 1914, Schweik is drafted into the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

as a common soldier. Because he suffers from

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...

, he is detached as a servant for Lieutenant Lukas (Ernst Stankovski). The latter is busy not getting transferred to the front line, so he can spend his time with gambling and with beautiful ladies. When Lukas loses his entire money and even his servant Schweik to a colonel in a game of cards, Schweik buys himself free with his own money and returns to Lukas. One day, Schweik acquires a

terrier Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...

. Lukas is delighted, even though his cat gets mauled by the dog. When Lukas goes for a walk with the terrier and with a girl named Gretl (

Senta Berger Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; ''Austrian German:'' , ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include three Bambi Awards, two Romys, an Ad ...

), they meet his commanding officer who is the dog's proper owner. Accused of theft, Lukas is transferred to

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; german: Budweis ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 93,000 inhabitants. It is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is t ...

. When he and Schweik are on their way to České Budějovice by train, Schweik pulls the emergency brake. Unable to pay the fine for misuse of the brake, Schweik has to leave the train at the next station

Tábor Tábor (; german: Tabor) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The followi ...

and continues his journey on foot. He is then arrested as a

deserter Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

and is even thought to be a Russian spy. But because of his naivety and clumsiness he is soon released. Thereafter, Schweik wants to resume his service with Lieutenant Lukas, but the latter has already got a new servant. Schweik, however, is tasked with delivering a letter to Lukas' lover. Shortly before delivering the letter, Schweik encounters his old friend Woditschka (

Franz Muxeneder Franz Muxeneder (19 October 1920 - 3 January 1988) was an Austrian actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1948 to 1987. Muxeneder is best known in Great Britain for his part in the Yugoslav-German television series ''The White Hor ...

) and they get drunk together. In the evening, Schweik wants to finally get rid of the letter, but now the lady's husband has returned. In order to protect Lukas, Schweik pretends that he wrote the love letter himself. Eventually, Lukas and Schweik are transferred to the Russian front. While being under hostile fire on the battlefield, Schweik finds a four-leaf clover and gives it to Lukas as a talisman. Shortly after though, Lukas is mortally wounded, and gets carried off the battlefield by Schweik. Schweik hides in a corn field and comes across a Russian soldier. They become friends and swap their uniforms. Schweik is then arrested by an Austrian patrol who consider him to be a Russian. He is charged with

desertion Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ar ...

and

defection In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

and is convicted to

death by firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are us ...

. However, just when he is to be executed, the war ends and Schweik is released. He returns home and meets Woditschka in his favourite pub. So, despite of the grand political scheme of the war, in the end, nothing has changed for Schweik.

Cast

as Schwejk *

Ernst Stankovski Ernst Stankovski (16 June 1928 – 26 January 2022) was an Austrian actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films since 1949. Stankovski died in Klosterneuburg on 26 January 2022, at the age of 93. Selected filmography Television Series ...

as Oberleutnant Lukas *

as Woditschka *

Ursula von Borsody Ursula may refer to: * Ursula (name), feminine name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * ''Ursula'' (album), an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron *Ursula (crater), a crater on Titania, a moon of Uranus *Ursula (det ...

as Kathi *

Erika von Thellmann Erika von Thellmann (1902–1988) was an Austrian actress who appeared in more than a hundred films and television series during her career.Fritsche p.254 Selected filmography * ''The Stone Rider'' (1923) * '' Marriage Strike'' (1935) *''The Gree ...

as Baronin *

as Gretl *

Fritz Imhoff Fritz Imhoff, real name: Friedrich Arnold Heinrich Jeschke (January 6, 1891, Alsergrund February 24, 1961, Wieden) was an Austrian actor. He was a brother of the Wienerlied composer (18901962). Selected filmography * '' Daughter of the Regi ...

Jane Tilden Jane Tilden, born as Marianne Wilhelmine Tuch, (1910–2002) was an Austrian actress who enjoyed a long career on stage and in films and television shows. She was born as Marianne Tuch in Aussig, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She was ...

as Housemaid *

Rudolf Rhomberg Rudolf Rhomberg (1 February 1920 - 6 June 1968) was an Austrian film actor. Partial filmography * ''Two Times Lotte'' (1950) - Photograph * ''Call Over the Air'' (1951) - Piefke * ''Eva im Frack'' (1951) * ''Wienerinnen'' (1952) * ''Abenteuer im ...

Fritz Eckhardt Fritz Eckhardt (born Linz, 30 November 1907; died Klosterneuburg, 31 December 1995) was an Austrian actor, director, and writer. He is remembered for playing the lead role as ''chief inspector Marek'' in the Österreichischer Rundfunk version o ...

as Wendler *

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 Wachtmeister Flanderka * Michael Janisch *

Fritz Muliar Fritz Muliar, born as Friedrich Ludwig Stand (December 12, 1919 – May 4, 2009), was an Austrian actor who, due to his huge popularity, is often referred to by his countrymen as ''Volksschauspieler''. Biography Born in Neubau, Vienna as the s ...

as Russian Soldier *

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 ...

Erik Frey Erik Frey (1 March 1908 – 2 September 1988) was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1936 and 1988. He was born and died in Vienna, Austria. He was married to the actress Jane Tilden. Selected filmography * ...

* Erland Erlandsen *

Egon von Jordan Egon von Jordan (19 March 1902 – 27 December 1978) was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1974. Selected filmography * '' The Ghost of Morton's Castle'' (1922) * ''Young Medardus'' (1923) * ''Lace'' ...

Hans Thimig Hans Emil Thimig, pseudonym: Hans Werner (23 July 1900 in Vienna – 17 February 1991, also in Vienna) was an Austrian actor, film director, and stage director. Life The youngest son of the Burgtheater actor Hugo Thimig and Franziska "Fanny" Hu ...

Guido Wieland Guido Wieland (1906–1993) was an Austrian stage, film and television actor.Mitchell p.92 Selected filmography * '' 1. April 2000'' (1952) * ''Adventure in Vienna'' (1952) * ''The Doctor's Secret'' (1955) * ''Scandal in Bad Ischl'' (1957) * ''E ...

Edith Elmay Edith Elmay (24 July 1936 – 7 August 2020) was an Austrian film and television actress. Elmay died on 7 August 2020, at the age of 84.Berlin film researcher M. Jahnke (in cooperation with R. Kettermann) Selected filmography * ''Scandal in Bad ...

Alma Seidler Alma Seidler (1 June 1899 – 8 December 1977) was an Austrian actress. She was member of the Burgtheater for over 50 years. Biography Alma Seidler was born in Leoben, the daughter of Ernst Seidler von Feuchtenegg. The later Burgtheater dir ...

Awards and nominations

The film was nominated for the 1962

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film (Samuel Goldwyn International Award).

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Good Soldier Schweik, The 1960 films West German films 1960 comedy-drama films 1960s German-language films German black-and-white films German comedy-drama films The Good Soldier Švejk Films based on Czech novels Films based on works by Jaroslav Hašek Films set in Prague World War I films set on the Eastern Front Film remakes 1960s German films