'Fridericus' is one of several German films recounting the military career of Prussia's king Friedrich the Second. An earlier version, the silent film 'Fridericus Rex' (made before Hitler's rise to power), has little to recommend it beyond a good performance by Werner Krauss in a supporting role. 'Fridericus' was made barely a year after 'Der Alte und der Junge König', another biography of Friedrich. The best and most elaborate of these biopics is 'Der Grosse Konig', made in 1942. 'Fridericus' stars Otto Gebuhr in the title role: the same actor who portrayed Friedrich in 'Der Grosse Konig' (The Great King).
'Fridericus' is a less effective film than 'The Great King' (basically a remake), but a comparison of the two films is interesting. 'Fridericus' was made in 1936, when Hitler was firmly in power but the Second World War had not started yet. 'The Great King' was made in 1942, when Hitler's biggest victories were past and it was likely that the Third Reich would lose the war. This explains why 'The Great King' places greater emphasis on Friedrich's military struggle against superior forces and overwhelming odds.
There's nothing in 'Fridericus' that isn't done better in 'The Great King', including Otto Gebuhr's performance in the title role. The best thing in 'Fridericus' is a brief performance by beautiful dark-eyed Lil Dagover as Madame Pompadour. I'll rate this movie 2 points out of 10.
'Fridericus' is a less effective film than 'The Great King' (basically a remake), but a comparison of the two films is interesting. 'Fridericus' was made in 1936, when Hitler was firmly in power but the Second World War had not started yet. 'The Great King' was made in 1942, when Hitler's biggest victories were past and it was likely that the Third Reich would lose the war. This explains why 'The Great King' places greater emphasis on Friedrich's military struggle against superior forces and overwhelming odds.
There's nothing in 'Fridericus' that isn't done better in 'The Great King', including Otto Gebuhr's performance in the title role. The best thing in 'Fridericus' is a brief performance by beautiful dark-eyed Lil Dagover as Madame Pompadour. I'll rate this movie 2 points out of 10.