Review of The Rats (1955) by Silke B — 05 Aug 2011

On a new year's eye in the 1950's, a young woman (Maria Schell) tries to cross the border from East Germany to West Germany. She is full of blood and clapses a doll to her chest. She is obviously out of her mind. And her ID is obviously false.

In a flashback we learn what happened to the young girl, who's name is Pauline.

Pauline is pregnant. And her fiancé has left her. He went across the border and lives in West Germany. Pauline wants to be with him desperatly, but she can't cross the border. She needs a fake ID for that. She has no money and nowhere to stay.

Anna John (Heidemarie Hatheyer) is a wealthy woman. And she was pregnant, until she had a miscarriage in her fourth month. Mrs. John fears, that her husband might leave her, when he finds out. When Anna meets Pauline on the street, a perfidious plan starts to develop in her mind. She offers Pauline money and a false ID, and she wants the child in return.

Both woman are desperate, full of fear and forlorn. Pauline needs the money to meet her faithless fiancé, Anna needs the child to keep up her dream of a happy little family.

Anna's brother Bruno (Curd Jürgens) takes care of Pauline. And a little more than that. He develops a little weakness for her. And he delays her departure a bit, after she has given birth. Actually, he waits too long. Because, as Mrs. John says, "Pauline starts to wake up". She wants to see her child and she starts feeling guilty for having sold it.

When she isn't allowed to see her child, she swears revenge. But she has misjudged Bruno. He has more than one skeleton in his closet, and he is absolutely willing to do everything his sister wants from him. Anna wants Pauline's dead.

The 1950's in Germany are always shown as clean and prude, modern and neat. But under the shiny surface were despair, blackmail, human trafficking and murder very common. The rats were everywhere.

I never understood why my Grandmothers were so fond of Curd Jürgens. But now I do. He had that certain rough charme, that works very well with women.