Kinder, Mütter und ein General (1955) : distribution, intrigue et streaming

Released in 1955, Kinder, Mütter und ein General is a drame and guerre film directed by László Benedek, running about 110 minutes.

What it’s about. Laslo Benedek interrupted his thriving Hollywood career to return to Europe as director of the German Kinder, Mutter und ein General (Children, Mother and the General). The film is set in Berlin during the last days of WW II. Desperate for manpower, Hitler has ordered that all able-bodied teenaged boys --some as young as 15 -- be drafted into the army. Frau Asmussen (Hilde Krahl) is one of five mothers who learn to their horror that their boys have been slated to be cannon fodder on behalf of the Third Reich. Asmussen and the other mothers head directly to the front to plead with the German generals for the lives of their sons. Not directly an indictment of Germany's involvement in (or incitement of) the recent war, Kinder, Mutter und ein General stresses the futility and heartbreak of all wars everywhere.

Who’s in it. Kinder, Mütter und ein General stars Hilde Krahl as Helene Asmussen, Ewald Balser as General, Therese Giehse as Elfriede Bergmann and Ursula Herking as Dr. Behrens, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.4/10, Kinder, Mütter und ein General has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Kinder, Mütter und ein General page.

If you liked it. Fans of Kinder, Mütter und ein General tend to enjoy Les Évadés, Le Parrain, La Liste de Schindler and Le Parrain, 2e partie.