Trace of Stones

Frank Beyer's Trace of Stones (1966) was deemed injurious to the reputation of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) due to its mildly critical stance toward the regime, and was therefore banned from circulation until shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 (when it was screened as a signal that the authorities were open to reform—a gesture that didn't save them, of course). Beyer himself was expelled from DEFA, the state film monopoly, and did not make another film for nearly a decade. But Trace of Stones is notable for artistic as well as historical reasons, thanks to a strong mixture of drama and dark comedy as it tells the story of a romantic triangle between a married Communist party secretary, an undisciplined but productive foreman, and a beautiful young engineer at an East German construction site—structured largely as a prolonged flashback from a “trial” of the secretary on the grounds that his dalliance with the engineer constituted improper conduct. It's also blessed with excellent performances, and offers a cool, understated satire of the party apparatus and workings of the socialist system. DVD extras include a recent interview with lead actress Krystyna Stypulkowsa, an essay on the film, and a trailer of clips from DEFA films. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)