Review of The Captain from Köpenick

This film is considered by German film historians to be one of the greatest ever. A valid passport was needed by all in Imperial Prussia to apply for a job, prove citizenship or even to travel. An old cobbler is denied a much-needed passport due to the Prussian bureaucracy. He breaks into City Hall to steal one, and is arrested. Finally, he procures old military uniform of a captain and makes use of his previous military experience (and the fact that nobody in that era would question the authority of any Prussian officer) to commandeer a group of active duty military members he happens to meet and use them to take over city hall. In a series of humorous events, he places the mayor and treasurer of the Berlin suburb of Koepenick under house arrest in his attempt to finally secure his desired passport. This event is still celebrated each year in a parade held in Berlin as the citizens of Berlin make fun of their well-documented habit of yielding almost totally to the whims of the Prussian military throughout much of their history. The film's Berlin dialect can make it difficult for some viewers to understand the spoken dialog. This film has been remade several times, including the most popular 1956 version starring Heinz Rühmann. Nothing beats this 1931 version at rendering a period-correct atmosphere that takes one back in time.