Feature film — 1976

Fussballspiele (1976)

An attractive montage of a vivid and often tense highlights from the soccer field ... Headers, fouls, dribbling, runs, goalmouth dramas are juxtaposed, slowed down, repeated and at the same time embellished acoustically in such an apt and lively manner by the music of the leading German jazz and rock guitarist Volker Kriegel, that even the viewer spoilt by live soccer will enjoy seeing it. The artistes of the bid ball become leading dancers at the penalty mark. Slow motion, animation, modification or restriction of color further lend emphasis to the close interaction with the musical movements, achieving a positive unity, regardless weather attention is focussed on the goalkeeper, on team play, on vigorous tackling or on goalmouth excitement, which are all synchronized in sequence form with the musical sections. The film contains extracts from 13 first division soccer games in Germany. –Joachim Kreck