About.com Rating

• Directed by Géza von Radványi
• Wolfe Video
• 1958 - Re-released in 2010
• 91 Minutes
• Bonus Features: Bonus Featurette! From Manuela to Annabelle – Director Katherine Brooks discusses how Mädchen in Uniform inspired the DVD Sensation, Loving Annabelle

Kinder, Küche, Kirche

“I had no idea it would be this awful,” says the new-to-the-convent mädchen (girl), Manuela von Meinhardis (Romy Schneider) to her chaperone.


“You’ll get used to it,” is the sad and simple reply. With her mother dead and a cold, distant aunt her only relative, Manuela has only herself–and her schoolmates–to rely on.

Manuela is much too lively and spirited for the strict convent where butter is scraped off of bread and the humorless, stingy Sister Superior, who rules the place, determines they will all be “mothers of soldiers one day” and need forceful training. The girls are shouted at to walk lock-step (one, two, one, two) everywhere they go and keep their hair pulled back as tight as possible.

Enter Elizabeth Fraeulein von Bernburg (Lilli Palmer), the prenaturally beautiful, but out of place, English teacher for whom all the girls swoon, particularly one older girl, Alexandra. Bernburg chastely kisses each girl on the forehead before bed each night, but when it’s Manuela’s turn, Fraulein B. goes all a-flutter and has more than a few gentle words for the new schoolgirl.

Monochromatic splendor

Through a series of classic campy, comic and touching scenes, Manuela falls in love with Ms.

Bernburg, whom we see feels the same way. Manuela and Bernburg carry on their “affair” throughout the flick with longing looks, loving glances, quick kisses and head-in-hands angst. Alexandra, jealous, snitches on the two and the film’s melodramatic tone ratchets up several notches.

Scandalous!

When Sister Superior finds Manuela has developed an “unhealthy fascination” for Bernburg, the studious young teacher is scolded not to have contact with the girl. Later, they are both labeled “depraved” by Sr. Superior when she finds their feelings are mutual. The resolution of the film is very fraught; you’ll have to watch it to find out the fate of Manuela and von Bernburg.

Entertaining

My Rating: 5 stars. Mädchen in Uniform holds up as a well-made, entertaining and fun film in oh, so many ways, fifty years after it was released. This unique remake (of the 1930s original) was certainly ahead of its time.