Hälfte des Lebens (Half of Life) (1985)

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Germany's lyric poet Friedrich Holderlin (1770-1843) is the subject of this informative re-enactment of the 12 years between 1796 -- when he ended his classes at the University of Tubingen -- and 1807 -- when he took up residence in what has come to be known as "Holderlin's Tower" in Tubingen. This… More Germany's lyric poet Friedrich Holderlin (1770-1843) is the subject of this informative re-enactment of the 12 years between 1796 -- when he ended his classes at the University of Tubingen -- and 1807 -- when he took up residence in what has come to be known as "Holderlin's Tower" in Tubingen. This film looks at Holderlin's life as a tutor for the wealthy Gontard family in Frankfurt. He falls in love with the lady of the house, and their affair leads to his dismissal, exacerbating his already sharp sense of solitude. As Holderlin tries to come to grips with his personal losses, the French Revolution dominates his thinking. His deteriorating mental state would soon see him isolated in his "tower" for the rest of his life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi