Music is a universal language, and perhaps no movie demonstrates this more quirkily than the October offering of Piedmont’s Second Thursday Flix Fest: 2003’s offbeat comedy, “Schultze Gets the Blues”.
It’s a German film. The music is Cajun. If that sounds a bit far out, it isn’t. I’ve seen Peruvian panflute players performing to pedestrian approval on Parisian Streets. And what about those taiko drummers in Berkeley? Why can’t a German guy go cuckoo over Zydeco?
That’s what happens in “Schultze Gets the Blues”. Schultze, played by Horst Krause, is a hefty, recently retired salt miner. Along with his also laid-off friends Jürgen and Manfred, he finds himself restless with time to spare. For years, he’s played traditional polka music on his accordion, but late in life he’s inspired by an interest in American Zydeco and Cajun music. Despite his initial hesitation about traveling to the U.S., he answers his music club’s call to represent it at a German folk music festival in New Braunfels, Texas.
However, instead of appearing there, he chooses to travel in a small blue boat around the countryside, despite speaking little English. Along along the way he immerses himself in the music and culture of the Bayou and has several encounters with friendly locals before the movie comes to a bittersweet end.
The tale is a study of an ordinary guy who, inspired by music, finds adventure late in life. Quietly amusing, it has a leisurely pace. The Stockholm International Film Festival awarded it Best Picture, and the German Film Awards nominated Horst Krause for Best actor. Roger Ebert gave it a Jury Award in his Best Movies listing.
“Schultze Gets the Blues” will be screened on Oct. 10, at 1:00 p.m. at 801 Magnolia Avenue. Doors will open at 12:45. The event is free and open to anyone over 18 years of age. Participants are invited on a drop-in basis, though registration with the PRD is encouraged and can be done at https://bit.ly/3PJyxkP. Everyone is welcome to bring snacks or lunch. Flix Fest is sponsored by the Piedmont Recreation Department.
The next movie in the Piedmont series is the Italian romantic comedy, “Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips)”. It will show on Nov. 14.