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A Topical Film
The iconoclastic German gay director Rosa von Praunheim's film THE EINSTEIN OF SEX - LIFE AND WORK OF DR. M. HIRSCHFELD is all too topical. The director records the events of the life of Magnus Hirschfeld, a German Jew famous for his outspoken quest for sexual tolerance, his fight to get Paragraph 175 that made homosexual acts a crime in Germany repealed, and his establishing of the Institute of Sexual Science in Berlin in 1920. The movie is important for shedding light on a real pioneer that not enough people know about and for reminding us that progress is never certain nor guaranteed and can be destroyed in an instant. The Nazis, while Hirschfeld was out of the country, closed his institute and destroyed many of his records. <
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>The film is well photographed and the director manages to make a quasi-documentary interesting, not always an easy task. There is more male nudity than any contemporary U. S. film would even attempt with the possible exception of the recent KINSEY. Included in the DVD is a documentary, parts of which cannot be heard, although the director comes through as quite a character. He has taken the name "Rosa" because of the pink triangles that homosexuals were forced to wear in the Nazi camps. <
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>This film is well worth watching, both for its historical significance and its artistic achievement. <
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"Your name tops the list of Jewish criminals."
The film's unfortunate title "Einstein of Sex" is one of the nicknames given to Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, a Socialist German Jew whose pioneer studies in human sexuality came to a crashing halt when the Nazis took power. "Einstein of Sex" charts Hirschfeld's life from boyhood in the late 1800s, to his interest in the study of human sexuality, and then concentrates on his medical career. <
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>The film does an excellent job of showing attitudes towards human sexuality at the end of the 19th century. Human subjects under scrutiny are treated abominably, and homosexuals are especially mistreated. German law (specifically Paragraph 175) stated that homosexuality was illegal, and after Hirschfeld encounters a homosexual who commits suicide due to the fear of exposure and blackmail, it becomes Hirschfeld's goal to have this law repealed. <
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>Hirschfeld battles prejudice, fear and ignorance in a society in which Prussian strains of militarism are deeply embedded. The plot also covers the German Youth Movement and the macho homosexual activist Herr Brand (Ben Becker). Hirschfeld struggles with his own preconceptions of homosexuality at many points, and locks horns with Brand--who believes in 'outing' prominent homosexuals to advance the cause. <
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>The film's production values leave a lot to be desired, and that's a shame (I'd really like to give this film a higher rating due to its unusual and worthy content). The quality here is about what you'd expect from a televised play, and at times, it's rather amateurish. Some of the acting is spotty--the scene at the club of transvestites is especially poor. Two actors play Hirschfeld as an adult--Kai Schuhmann plays the younger version, and Friedel von Wangenheim plays the middle-aged Hirschfeld; meanwhile, other characters do not age at all. The film's quality distracts from the excellently conveyed texture and culture of Weimar's Germany. <
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>The film was at its best--and most powerful--in the final half hour. An interview with the engaging filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim is included in the DVD extras, and this interview is well worth watching. Von Praunheim explains that he adopted a feminine name, 'Rosa' in remembrance of the pink triangle homosexuals were forced to wear in concentration camps. In German with English subtitles--displacedhuman

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A Worthy Depiction of the World of a Brave Researcher
"The Einstein of Sex" shows the life of Magnus Hirschfeld, a German Jew who helped pioneer the scientific study of sex. Hirschfeld became so famous for his work that he could joke that Einstein might be better known as the Hirschfeld of Physics. After achieving his greatest successes in the 1920s, Hirschfeld's Institute in Berlin was shut down by the Nazis in 1933, with Hirschfeld dying in exile in France a couple of years later.

Three actors portray Hirschfeld - one for the ten-year old sex sketcher, one for the student and young doctor, and one for the middle-aged doctor and institution head. The latter two are immersed in a world of male sexuality.

The audience gets to see a parade of attractive, freqently unclothed men, who appear as patients, nudists, hyper-masculine patriots, transvestites, or as other examples of early twentieth century marginal groups. Some scenes look like recreations of photographs from the period. Seemingly modern activities like "outing" or fighting sodomy laws were being done a long time ago.

Hirschfeld himself is shown trying for years to stay celebate and focus on his work, despite various temptations. He develops a relationship with a cute assistant, Karl Giese (played by Olaf Drauschke), that lasts for many years (though the film telescopes this). Toward the end Hirschfeld takes a long trip and cheats on Giese, although this is not explored in depth. So there is some personal journey mixed in with the wide social survey.

The camera work and sets give the movie an inexpensive feel, although the acting is servicable. I especially liked Drauschke (Giese), Gerd Lukas Storzer as Baron von Tauschenberg (a young, early assistant to Hirschfeld), and Gerry Wolf (as Hirschfeld's conservative uncle).

A big plus is that there is a 30+ minute documentary on Magnus Hirschfeld and director Rosa von Prauheim. This gives more background on the history and on the director's views. There is also some documentary footage in the main film.

The photo gallery has some hot photos not in the film. Some of these appear on the back of the DVD case (with suitable alteration).

I upgraded the film a bit for the idea that Hirschfeld managed to do sex research on a scale unequalled before or since. (Kinsey was an honorable second.) Nowadays, the US Federal government resists funding any sort of sexuality study; having a finding that gay or bi sexuality is normal would outrage too many. Since the Nazis destroyed the Institute's records (forcing future researchers to start from scratch), this unique movie and accompanying documentary is a reminder of what is useful and possible. "The Einstein of Sex" is a worthwhile DVD to watch or own.