Emil and the Detectives

Emil and the Detectives (Emil und die Detektive) was published in 1929 and became an immediate hit. UFA Studios bought the film rights and secured one Billy Wilder for the script. His collaboration with Erich Kästner produced this first adaptation, one of the first talkies in German cinema. The result is quite loyal to the source material about Emil, who visits his grandmother in Berlin only to be robbed on his way. With the help of a group of resourceful children, he manages to apprehend the bandit. Quite impressively, the film is convincing and intriguing even today - mainly thanks to the cinematography: the outdoor shots of Berlin at the end of the Weimar Republic and the way the camera presents some images reminiscent of German Expressionism. In short: this is a classic that is worthy of your time and attention.