Feuer! (1979) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A revolutionary crisis exposes the divide between social classes and destroys individuals caught between conscience, authority, and political violence.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

Cannons Against the Crowd

Demonstrators gather at the Hofburg, but Pollet refuses to fire on them. Karl rescues him as the unrest spreads into the suburbs.

Key Events

• Demonstrators Gather at Hofburg — Demonstrators protest Metternich's restoration policy and the lack of civic rights. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick, Student Location: Hofburg square
• Pollet Refuses the Cannon Order — Pollet refuses to fire on demonstrators and stands before the guns. Characters: Pollet Location: Hofburg square
• Karl Rescues Pollet — Karl rescues Pollet during the street fighting and hides him in the workshop attic. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick, Pollet Location: Vienna streets
• Factories Burn in the Suburbs — Poor workers and unemployed people revolt, while factories are burned and destroyed. Characters: Ludwig Schlick, Karl Albrecht Schlick Location: Vienna suburbs

Promises Without Equality

The government promises constitutional reform and press freedom, yet workers and bourgeois citizens pursue sharply different goals. Political tensions surface at Anzenberg's reception.

Key Events

• Citizen Guard Raids the Shelter — The citizen guard fights the revolt and arrests residents of the unemployed shelter. Characters: Ludwig Schlick Location: Shelter for unemployed people
• Pollet Becomes a Wanted Man — The government searches for Pollet, while Ferdinand hides from questioning. Characters: Pollet, Ferdinand Location: Vienna
• Promises of Constitution and Press Freedom — The government promises a constitution and an end to press censorship. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick, Student Location: Vienna
• Political Dispute at Anzenberg's Reception — Anzenberg rejects the unwanted guests, and he argues politically with Karl. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick, Pollet, Ferdinand, Anzenberg, Ludwig Schlick Location: Anzenberg's house

The Cost of Suspicion

Pollet remains hidden while Karl is blamed for jewelry stolen by Ferdinand. The constitutional crisis deepens as students reject the government's draft.

Key Events

• Pollet Is Arrested and Freed — Pollet is arrested in the attic but freed on the street and hidden in a shelter cellar. Characters: Pollet Location: Vienna streets
• Students Reject the Draft Constitution — Students reject the government's first constitutional draft in May. Characters: Student, Karl Albrecht Schlick Location: Vienna
• Karl Enters Justina's Room — Karl enters Justina's bedroom at night and escapes through the window when Anzenberg returns. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick Location: Anzenberg's house
• Karl Is Accused of Jewelry Theft — Missing jewelry leads Anzenberg to suspect Karl, although Ferdinand was the actual thief. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick, Anzenberg, Ferdinand Location: Anzenberg's house

Flight to a Dying Home

Pollet leaves Vienna after hearing of an amnesty and visits his dying brother. Ferdinand reaches the village but is arrested at his father's grave.

Key Events

• Pollet Leaves His Hiding Place — Believing political offenders have received amnesty, Pollet leaves his hiding place. Characters: Pollet Location: Vienna
• The Imperial Court Leaves Vienna — Pollet reaches the Hofburg as the imperial court abandons Vienna for Innsbruck. Characters: Pollet Location: Hofburg
• Pollet Visits His Sick Brother — Pollet visits his dying brother Martin and confronts his uncertainty about refusing the order. Characters: Pollet Location: Village schoolhouse
• Ferdinand Is Arrested at the Grave — After Martin's funeral, Ferdinand is arrested at his father's open grave. Characters: Pollet, Ferdinand Location: Village cemetery

Uniform at the Barricades

Vienna prepares for imperial attack while Pollet returns for his uniform. Mistaken for an enemy soldier, he is shot, and the retaliation ends with Karl and Ferdinand's executions.

Key Events

• Vienna Prepares for Imperial Attack — Bourgeois-controlled Vienna prepares to resist an attack by imperial troops. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick, Ludwig Schlick, Student Location: Vienna barricades
• Pollet Returns for His Uniform — Unable to prove his identity, Pollet returns to the workshop to retrieve his uniform. Characters: Pollet Location: Schlick workshop
• Pollet Is Shot at the Barricades — Mistaken for an imperial soldier, Pollet is shot by a member of the citizen guard. Characters: Pollet, Karl Albrecht Schlick, Ludwig Schlick Location: Vienna barricades
• Executions End the Revolution — Karl and Ferdinand are executed after the imperial government retaliates against revolutionary prisoners. Characters: Karl Albrecht Schlick, Ferdinand Location: Vienna prison

Story Breakdown

• Hofburg Demonstrations — Public protest triggers the central political and moral crisis.
  • Crowds Demand Rights — Demonstrators gather against restoration politics and the lack of civic rights.
  • Pollet Refuses Fire — Pollet rejects the order to fire cannons at the demonstrators.
• Rescue and Rebellion — Street violence spreads while Karl shelters Pollet from government pursuit.
  • Workshop Refuge — Karl hides Pollet in the attic of his father's workshop.
  • Suburban Uprising — Workers and unemployed people attack factories and clash with the citizen guard.
• Broken Reform Promises — Constitutional promises fail to bridge the gap between bourgeois citizens and workers.
  • Constitution Announced — The government promises a constitution and the abolition of press censorship.
  • Students Reject Draft — Students reject the government's first constitutional proposal.
• Anzenberg Conflict — Social hostility and a jewelry theft place Karl under suspicion.
  • Reception Dispute — Anzenberg objects to the unwanted guests and argues with Karl.
  • False Theft Accusation — Karl is arrested after Anzenberg suspects him of stealing the missing jewelry.
• Family Flight — The revolution's collapse drives Pollet and Ferdinand toward a village marked by illness, regret, and arrest.
  • Pollet Visits Brother — Pollet visits his dying brother and questions whether his refusal was right.
  • Graveyard Arrest — Ferdinand is arrested at his father's open grave after the funeral.
• Barricade Tragedy — The final battle converts confusion into irreversible loss and political revenge.
  • Uniform Mistaken Identity — Pollet is mistaken for an imperial soldier because of his uniform.
  • Prison Executions — Karl and Ferdinand are executed during the government's retaliation against revolutionaries.

Directed by

Reinhard Schwabenitzky

Key Cast

• Christoph Waltz — Karl Albrecht Schlick
• Kurt Weinzierl — Pollet
• Karl Merkatz — Anzenberg
• Erwin Leder — Ferdinand
• Jaromír Borek — Ludwig Schlick