Rotation (1949): Cast & Plot
Rotation is a 1949 drama directed by Wolfgang Staudte, starring Irene Korb as Charlotte Blank Behnke, Paul Esser and Karl-Heinz Deickert. It runs 1 hour 19 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 19m (79 min)
- Director
- Wolfgang Staudte
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
German - Studio
- DEFA
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Rotation About?
The premise of Rotation without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Mechanic Behnke initially seeks Nazi Party membership, hoping it will provide a stable livelihood. When his Jewish neighbours are deported, he is forced to confront the reality of his ambitions. Claiming to be “a non‑political man,” he retreats from reality and ultimately becomes a laborer for the regime, illustrating his moral collapse.
Rotation Themes & Keywords
· 41 tags- nazi germany
- german politics
- working class
- nazi rule
- nazi party
- nazi
- socialism
- resistance
- fascism
- socialist realism
- german underground
- world war two
+29 more Show fewer
- nsdap
- nazi officer
- fascist
- ideology
- father son relationship
- family relationships
- apolitical
- hitlerjugend
- berlin germany
- political prisoner
- political discrimination
- soviet liberation of berlin
- social discontent
- storm trooper
- politically divided community
- gestapo
- fugitive from nazi
- fall of berlin
- young love
- mass murder
- parent child conflict
- rise of fascism
- massive unemployment
- nazi party membership drive
- depression era germany
- cowardice
- politically divided family
- nazi indoctrination
- communism
Rotation Cast & Characters
Irene Korb leads the cast as Charlotte Blank Behnke, with Paul Esser as Hans Behnke and Karl-Heinz Deickert as Hellmuth Behnke. Directed by Wolfgang Staudte; 27 actors are credited in all.
- Director Wolfgang Staudte
- Irene Korb as Charlotte Blank Behnke
- Paul Esser as Hans Behnke
- Karl-Heinz Deickert as Hellmuth Behnke
- Reinhard Kolldehoff as Rudi Wille
Also Starring in Rotation
· 23 more- Werner Peters Udo Schulze
- Reinhold Bernt Kurt Blank
- Brigitte Krause Inge
- Friedrich Teitge
- Valeska Stock Hebamme
- Theodor Vogeler SD-Mann
- Albert Venohr
- Peter Marx
- Albert Johannes Personalchef "VB"
- Alfred Maack
- Johannes Knittel Arbeiter
- Georg August Koch
- Maria Loja
- Wolfgang Kühne
- Hans Schille
- Siegfried Andrich SS-Mann
Show all 27 cast members Show fewer cast members
More from Wolfgang Staudte
More films directed by Wolfgang Staudte: Gentlemen in White Vests, Destination Death, The Threepenny Opera and The Last Witness.
Rotation Plot Summary
What happens in Rotation from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens with scenes of Berlin during World War II, where bombs and explosions punctuate the city and a tense score threads through the chaos. It then jumps back twenty years to trace the life of a typical factory worker through a series of intimate vignettes that reveal how a man who opposes Nazi ideology could still be drawn into cooperating with the regime. The narrative foregrounds the brutal unemployment of 1920s Germany and, later, the pressure that threatens his job for not belonging to the Nazi party, painting a portrait of a man caught between conscience and survival.
Full summary
The whole story of Rotation, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Rotation?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the film's protagonist, a typical factory worker whose life the story follows?
Rotation Also Known As
6 alternative titles, including “Sowjetische Zone” and “Коричневая паутина”.
- Also known as
-
- Sowjetische Zone
- Коричневая паутина
- Mon fils m'a trahi
- Ротация
- 轮流
- J'ai trahi Hitler
Seen Rotation?
Movies Like Rotation
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Alone in Berlin, Germany in Autumn and Holocaust.
Rotation FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Rotation, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Rotation?
Rotation runs 1 hour 19 minutes (79 minutes).
When was Rotation released?
Rotation was released on September 16, 1949.
Who directed Rotation?
Rotation was directed by Wolfgang Staudte.
More films by Wolfgang Staudte Who is in the cast of Rotation?
Rotation stars Irene Korb as Charlotte Blank Behnke, Paul Esser as Hans Behnke and Karl-Heinz Deickert as Hellmuth Behnke, among 27 credited actors.
Does Rotation have a post-credit scene?
No. Rotation has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Rotation in?
The original language of Rotation is German.
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