Leontine Sagan's Madchen in Uniform (1931) is a groundbreaking German film that showcases women's agency and desire behind and in front of the camera. Adapted from Christa Winsloe's lesbian play, the story follows Manuela, an orphan in a boarding school for impoverished Prussian nobility. When she declares her love with her female teacher, the oppressive principal punishes her, leading to a desperate suicide attempt. Barbara Mennel's compelling study firmly establishes Madchen in the Weimar cinema canon. Mennel contextualises the film in 1920s theories of sexuality and the conventions of modernist cinema. She contrasts its international success to the extensive censorship battles that surrounded it. The film's unique transnational and fragmented history results from the exile of many of its makers during the Nazi regime. By attending to the many remakes throughout the 20th and 21st century, Mennel underscores the film's timeless impact that continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.

Barbara Mennel's BFI Film Classic considers Madchen in Uniform as an explosive expression of lesbian sexuality and an indictment of Germany's authoritarian regime.

About the Author
Barbara Mennel is a Professor of Film Studies and German Studies at the University of Florida, USA. She is the author of Su Friedrich (2023) and Women at Work in Twenty-First-Century European Cinema (2019).


Book Information
ISBN 9781839024177
Author Barbara Mennel
Format Paperback
Page Count 112
Imprint BFI Publishing
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC