It‘s really simple: „he is a man, I am a woman“, Alma Mahler (Emily Cox) tells her spouse Gustav as she reveals that she‘s having an affair with Berlin architect Walter Gropius (Anton von Lucke). Alma is 31 years old and is disappointed by the love of the famous composer, who is only concerned with his music and prevents her from pursuing her own career. Despite this, she stays with him, until he dies a few months later. Alma‘s tears from the loss have barely dried when she meets young artist Oskar Kokoschka (Valentin Postlmayr). The free spirit impresses the beautiful Viennese woman so much, that he awakens a fierce passion within her. Since Gropius is still in the picture, the story soon becomes complicated. At the same time, Alma is trying to advance her own musical career, after she paid her last respects to Mahler and premiered his final 9th symphony.

Director Dieter Berner is well-informed about the Belle Époque era and its icons. The art scene of the early 20th century is his special field. In 2016‘s EGON SCHIELE – TOD UND MÄDCHEN, he deals with the expressionist‘s relationships with women. Back then, he was criticized by some for a certain chasteness and a lack of physicality in his approach to the characters. Perhaps this is why he tried the opposite in ALMA & OSKAR. Cox and Postlmayr show a lot of skin to show the wild romance between the young artist and his muse, yet the staging is still rather conservative. It is up to the actors to breathe life into the power games, while Stefan Will‘s film score skillfully orients itself on Mahler‘s legacy and is tailor-made to the historical scenery.

Pamela Jahn

Translation: Elinor Lewy