| The Sinner | |
| Director: | Willi Forst |
| Producer: | Rolf Meyer |
| Editing: | Max Brenner |
| Distributor: | Herzog-Filmverleih |
| Runtime: | 100 minutes |
| Country: | West Germany |
The Sinner (German: '''Die Sünderin''') is a 1951 West German romantic drama film directed by Willi Forst and starring Hildegard Knef, Gustav Fröhlich and Änne Bruck.[1] It was shot at the Bendestorf Studios and on location in Naples, Rome and Positano. The film's sets were designed by the art director Franz Schroedter.
It is a love story between the prostitute Marina and the unsuccessful artist Alexander, who suffers from a cancer which makes him blind and ill. They are happy for a short period in Italy. Despite Marina's loving care, Alexanders health gets worse and they together commit suicide in the end.[2]
It was one of the first German films to break several taboos: nudity, suicide and euthanasia. In the Germany of the 1950s, this caused a lot of negative reactions both by politicians and the Roman Catholic Church as well as parts of the Protestant church.[3] The widespread opposition culminated in ultimately unsuccessful calls for a ban of the film, which paradoxically gave it a prominent place in German film history. Despite or because of the scandal, Die Sünderin proved to be the breakthrough role of Hildegard Knef.