Traces of Stones

Banned in East Germany for a quarter-century because of its politics, this controversial film was reportedly re-released in 1990 to great acclaim in a reunified Germany. The onetime verboten story concerns a construction foreman who doesn't take orders from an inefficient and incompetent Communist Party, preferring to gets things done his own way. Admired by his men and secure in his little fiefdom, the self-made crew leader rules over a building site in Schkona. The cozy arrangement starts to crumble, however, when a new Communist Party chief arrives and the foreman also begins an affair with a young, married engineer. Nicely shot in black-and-white CinemaScope, the letterboxed video looks good, but the drama doesn't hold up too sturdily. Although it's not a pure polemic, Traces may best be appreciated for its period politics and banned-in-Berlin notoriety than anything else. Very optional. (T. Rich)