Man Under Suspicion

A satire about corruption, about big and small crimes: The noble clochard Maxwell, the unsuccessful film producer Harry and the unemployed actress Wally are anything but kissed by luck. But that changes when the three get in the way of a corporation, who, with the help of bribed politicians, tries.

This grim German psychological drama unveils the process by which an innocent man can be so damaged by interactions with the criminal justice system that the smallest incident can trigger a murderous fury. Matthias (Matthias Eysen) is already a misfit and has trouble meeting society's expectations. When he is picked up by the police for a minor crime, the brutal indifference with which he is treated wounds him in ways which are not healed by his being found innocent and being released.

A juvenile offender is handed over to authorities at age 13 and placed in an institution in this somber social drama. Martin is a petty thief who enjoys stealing and looks up to his older brother. When he is informed that his brother has died, Martin runs away from the reform school. He passes through various institutions and is labeled as incorrigible because of his refusal to comply with the rules of society. A dedicated child psychologist tries to save Martin when he entertains thoughts of suicide.

In a small town in southern Germany, Rick, Lutz and Georg try to live out their frustrations in extended drinking bouts. In the "Paloma" pub, they look for confirmation in sexual adventures. They rape several girls, and none of the victims have the courage to talk, because everyone in the small town knows each other. Then one day, the body of a strange 20-year-old girl is found behind the rest area not far from the town, abused and strangled. She was hitchhiking to Landshut. The police initially investigate without success. No one claims to have seen anything and the case is finally filed away as unsolved. Only years later does Andi, one of the suspects, begin to talk, apparently driven by his conscience. He claims to have been there when Lutz, Georg and the landlord of their local pub committed the crime. The wall of silence threatens to topple...

Documentary by Wilhelm Roth about the state of affairs of the Young German Cinema.