Traces of Stones

Traces of Stones, originally titled "Spur der Steine" in German, is an East German film of the late mid-sixties, which was directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Frank Beyer. Despite being a film filled with much controversy and political critique, it is regarded today as a classic example of DEFA cinema, the state-owned film studio of East Germany.

The film stars Manfred Krug as the charismatic and rebellious construction foreman, Hannes Balla. Krug delivers an unforgettable performance in a film that cast a sharp, critical eye on the underpinnings of social daily life in East Germany. Krystyna Stypulkowska is Kati, a young, sprightly technical engineer assigned to Hannes's team. She is marked by her earnestness and unwavering commitment to her craft and the socialist state. Jutta Hoffmann is the pragmatic and principled Party Secretary who enters the scene to put things right in the work team.

Set in a socialist construction site somewhere in the GDR (German Democratic Republic), Traces of Stones delves into the dynamics of a construction crew, with a special focus on the foreman and his team. The crew is building a high-rise plattenbau – one of the typical prefabricated apartment blocks ubiquitous in East Germany – but the film is more about the human interactions, dreams, and struggles rather than the physical construction.

At the heart of the narrative is Hannes Balla, the larger-than-life, brawny, and heavy-drinking foreman, considered the king of construction workers. Arguably one of Krug's most iconic roles, Balla is an unorthodox but highly efficient manager, who leads his team leveraging skill, wit and defiance, challenging the bureaucratic norms of the socialist system while respecting and cherishing the raw idealism and camaraderie of the working class. In contrast to the typically two-dimensional portrayal of workers in East German film, Balla is a nuanced realised character full of exuberance, defiance, sentimentality, and vulnerability.

Balla’s world is disrupted with the arrival of Kati, the earnest and idealistic engineer who takes her job very seriously. Her dedication to her profession and the ideals of the socialist state bring her into conflict with Balla, throwing the latent issues entrenched in the system into sharp relief. Their interactions and confrontations form the crux of the narrative, exposing the contradictions within 'real existing socialism,' the term used to describe the socio-economic model in mid-60s East Germany.

A significant vein running through the film is the confrontation between socialist ideals and the gritty reality of implementation. Through the portrayal of the high-tech, mechanized construction industry, the movie subtly critiques and challenges the socialist system's bureaucratic dysfunctions, social inequities, and ideological contradictions. It highlights the individuals' ability to compromise and the struggles they face while balancing their personal ideals against the rigid system. In its narrative, it shatters the uniformly positive portrayal of socialism prevalent in East German cinema.

The character of Werner Horrath, a sincere Party Secretary acted by Jutta Hoffmann, is another critical piece in the narrative. She embodies the system's earnest and bureaucratic face, manifesting a character charged with an unwavering belief in 'the system,' yet not blind to its flaws. Her character shows the tension between youthful enthusiasm and the hairsplitting debates within the GDR’s political structure.

Traces of Stones offers a vivid snapshot of East German society of the sixties. It is an audacious and ambivalent drama rather than a plain ideological piece. The film is regarded as an example of the "Rabbit Films" ("Hasenfilme"), a term used by DEFA for films with a critical approach. After only a few weeks in theaters, the film was pulled from circulation following protests from construction workers, resulting in the reprimand of its creators and an almost entire reappraisal of support from the central committee. Nonetheless, it remains an essential milestone in DEFA cinema history, notable for its bold critique of state socialism, laden with excellent performances, direction, and plot.

In sum, Traces of Stones is a cinematic gem depicting the dichotomy between ideology and reality in East Germany, a film that is just as, if not more, relevant today as it was when first released.