Consequence, The

By: Raymond Murray
In-House Review - Dec 19 2011

Jurgen Prochnow stars as Martin, who is sent to prison for the seduction of a . There, he meets and is immediately drawn to Thomas, the teenage son of one of the guards. After Martin's release, the boy runs away from home to live with him. And despite threats from the boy's father and the authorities, their love flourishes as the two are determined to live their life together - unprepared for the wrath triggered by their actions. Filmed in and almost documentary style from a script written by Petersen (who has gone on to helm many major Hollywood action films), the two men's relationship is depicted as sensual, tender and poignant. Petersen has said the audience "should gradually forget that it is actually about the relationship between two men...(and) should feel empathy with two people who fall in love with each other but who happen to be men. Perhaps in this way, some of the people will be changed." Petersen's touching tale is a bittersweet plea for understanding and compassion.

By: Amos Lassen

"The Consequence"
Pure Love
Amos Lassen
"The Consequence (WaterBearer Films) is a beauty of a movie which deals with hard topics-pure love and intolerance. Wolfgang Petersen directed this film in his early years and later went on to fame with "Das Boat", "in the Line of Fire" and "Air One".
It is the story of Martin (Jurgen Prochnow) who has been imprisoned for carnal knowledge of a . While serving his sentence he meets a teenager, 15 year old, Thomas who happens to be the son of one of the members of the prison staff. Thomas quickly falls in love with martin and the two, man and boy find release for their feelings in a locked prison cell. Upon releaser they set up house together and try to start a new life. Of course, society will not allow this to happen and it seems one disaster happens after another. They were never gain able to capture the romance they shared in prison.
This is quite a bold film and even bolder when we consider when t was made-1977 and at that is one of the oldest gay films that we have around today. It is quite an amazing look at both gay life and Germany. And it is so sad to think that two men cannot love each other in society and yet are free enough to do so behind bars.
Because it is an older film the print is not as clear as it could be but it has been digitally remastered so I am sure it could also been much worse. Even with that the film has a lot to say about intolerance and the perseverance of love. The two lovers are wonderful and you can almost feel the love they share. The characters all look typically German (I'm not sure exactly what that means) but this is such an insight into the nature of love that whatever faults the film may have appear to be . I sat and watched the movie amazed at what I was watching, a pure unadulterated love that could almost withstand anything. However, this love could not rise above the hatred of small people who have probably never known what true love is all about.
The starkness of the scenes which were shot in prison faded when we watch the lovers by themselves and oppositely the freedom of society seemed prison like with what it did to the two lovers. One would think that a topic like this might be depressing but that is not all true. Sure it is depressing not to be accepted but by seeing how society has reacted can make us much stronger.
I really saw a lot in this film and it spoke to me. It should speak to all of us in Arkansas who feel bound by a society that does not want us to be ourselves. Here is the value of a movie like this.