"Young Torless"
1966
Directed by Volker Schlondorff

In his first feature film, Volker Schlondorff created a milestone of the new German cinema and crystalized the emotions of a country still struggling to come to terms with its recent past of Nazi horror. Based on Robert Musil's novel, the film is a chilling parable of how people could come to accept the worst in human behavior. Set in a military boarding school, the story follows a shy, intelligent boy who witnesses, but does not report, the humiliation and torture of a fellow classmate. When he finally comes to realize his moral obligation to help the abused student, he finds it may be too late. Starring Mathieu Carriere, Marian Seidowsky, Bernd Tischer and Barbara Steele. German with English subtitles.  87 minutes.