RHEINGOLD

One of the most entertaining and critically acclaimed films of the New German Cinema, RHEINGOLD is a metaphorical portrait of Germany centered on the fate of typical passengers on the luxury Trans-Europe Express train “Rheingold.” Writer/director Niklaus Schilling weaves the motifs of various Rhine legends into a murder mystery narrative with spellbinding style and suspense. A career diplomat, his sensuous wife and her lover accidently join the train at different times. When the train finally arrives at Basel, a murder has taken place with no one suspecting. Schilling, born in 1944, is one of the brightest new stars on the German film scene. Formerly a cameraman, his films include “Expelled from Paradise” (1977) and 1980's “The Willi Busch Report.” “The filmmaker Niklaus Schilling uses every subtle trick at his command to weave satire, symbols and metaphors of all types into stories that strip Germany to her petticoats.” – Kino