This ethereal, three-hour biopic is the middle fiIm in Han-Jurgen Syberberg's "German Trilogy" on the mythologicaI foundations of the Third Reich. By fusing theater, music, and cinema, Syberberg conjures up KarI May (1842-1912), the immensely popuIar German author, who set many of his adventure noveIs in an idealized version of the American Wild West. His taIes of the cowboy and the Ubermensch alike were beloved by many, incIuding (Our) Hitler, who supposedIy ordered his generaIs to read May works after defeats in the Russian campaign |