Laikals
The greatest movie ever made..!
Steineded
How sad is this?
Iseerphia
All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.
Aubrey Hackett
While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.
Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"Die Schweizermacher" or "The Swissmakers" is a 105-minute movie from Switzerland and this one came out in 1978, so it will soon have its 40th anniversary. For Swiss people, this is still one of their most known from the 1970s and a bit of a cult film. The writer and director is Rolf Lyssy and it is certainly his most known career effort, even if it is a work from relatively early in his career. And as the Swiss did not make too many films back then that ended up well-known way beyond their borders, it is also among the most known for pretty much all the cast members.The story focuses on the men working inside an immigration agency and their daily challenges when working with immigrants and deciding if they should become Swiss citizens and working with them in order to achieve this natural "swissification". The most memorable character of the film, the grumpy Max Bodmer, is played by late actor Walo Lüönd and the film also is about him opening up to new cultures and influences from abroad the longer it goes. There are no really serious moments in here, so I would say that it is 100% comedy. But it's really not that often funny as it should be for a film of over 100 minutes, plus even as a native German speaker, you should get a good set of subtitles because of the thick Swiss accents. All in all, I don't recommend the watch here and I cannot share the praise this film has been receiving to this day. Very overrated in my opinion, it hasn't aged too well.
soundcheckinstitute
The movie is still very up to date in terms of migration background and the difficulties of integrating. If the movie would be shot today it would definitely lack the political incorrectness, which is the essence of it all. Of course some of the finest swiss actors participate, giving it a unique touch One of my absolute all-time top favorite movie, and certainly one of those flicks you can watch over and over again.....play it again Sam. Oh yes a few other highlights of swiss flicks: Der schwarze Tanner, Höhenfeuer, Sonnyboy, and of course just recently released Sennentuntschi. Especially Sennentuntschi a combination of Thriller, Mysthic, and bloody Facts will be kept in mind.
Jery_Kilker
As an American living in France and working in Switzerland during the early 1980s, I'd often stop at the border and chat with a friendly Swiss customs/immigration officer. One morning, he asked me if I'd seen 'Die Scweizermacher' and, with a smile, recommended it to me. Accepting this as an 'official' and informed recommendation, I soon saw the film. It was in German with the other 3 official languages as subtitles but, because the lead character is played by Emile, the famous circus clown, and the stories within the film are so stereotypical, understanding it is no problem. (The film was shown one year in New York City at the Swiss Cultural Center on lower Broadway but seems not to be known in the US.) Besides the traditional European nationalities being screened for Swiss citizenship, the film fades on an American who bops into the office making the same request. For those who appreciate the Swiss — and who marvel at current US immigration procedures — this film is a gem!
annehs
For anyone who lives in Switzerland, this is a must-see. It's true although exaggerated (sometimes !), very funny, touching, and just well made. It brings to the fore all the foibles of the Swiss, strengths and weaknesses, and it's just a great movie to watch. It's romantic too ! I highly recommend it to anyone who lives in or has lived in Switzerland, including all Swiss !!!Emil is wonderful in it too, and I wish he had made more films, he is perfect in this role.I sometimes have a hard time buying it since it's getting old, but I've found it a few times and given it to friends.Get your copy now, if you can.