Notable early lesbian film, Mädchen in Uniform is an important film in LGBTQ film history released in pre-WWII Germany by a Jewish female director. I have read in some places that this film was banned during the Nazi regime due to its lesbian themes, but then also have read that that might not have been the case at all, with the film’s interpretation being twisted enough by people at the time with critics saying that the student in the film’s feelings were an indication of a failing education and instead the focus was shifted to the artistic qualities behind the film-making of the movie. For me, watching this in this day and age, it was refreshing to see a movie from so long ago that was queer in the text and not just in the subtext if you knew to look for something.
The movie starts with Manuela starting off as a new student in an all-girls boarding school, intimidated by the strict new setting until she meets a teacher who is less strict and more caring towards the students. Manuela is quick to develop feelings for this caring teacher, Fraulein von Bernburg, which is a sentiment shared by other students. Fraulein von Bernburg continues to show herself as the only teacher in the school who seems to be on the girls’ side and kind to them.
After the performance of a play by the students, the students have a party in the kitchen and drunk Manuela confesses her feelings for Fraulein von Bernburg and raves about how caring she was to her when she needed it. Manuela only realises when she’s done that the headmistress was in the room and heard Manuela’s whole speech. The headmistress later scolds Fraulein von Bernburg and threatens to fire her, only for Fraulein von Bernburg to state that she needs to quit because she can’t stand working somewhere that treats the students so harshly. Full of emotions and unable to stand what things would be like without Fraulein von Bernburg, Manuela has gone missing only to be found by other students at the top of the stairs, ready to jump. Having prevented a tragedy, Fraulein von Bernburg is able to make the headmistress realise the gravity of the situation.
Some notable aspects of how same-sex attraction is portrayed in this film as crushes and between the students are in the students’ openness about their feelings and their attitudes about the feelings. The students at the boarding school are open about their common crush on Fraulein von Bernburg. For many of the students it goes beyond appreciating that there was one teacher that was less strict and cut them some slack, being compassionate towards them, but goes into having a crush on her, this is not something framed as uniquely felt by the protagonist, but by many of the students and discussed openly once they are sent to bed for lights out. There is also not a prominence of prejudice in reaction to these feelings. I feel like the movie doesn’t frame any of its narrative through a homophobic lens, with even the headmistress’s backlash towards Fraulein von Bernburg were more about her not being strict enough on the children, than about the morality of same-sex attraction
Mädchen in Uniform is an important film in terms of its rarity in its historical context, being a pre-WWII German film about queer young women as well as its ability to maintain a reputation throughout history having been proclaimed as a good film, but it also remains an important LGBTQ film to watch to this day as a coming of age film about a teenage girl having a crush on someone she shouldn’t and how that can play out. Despite its age, the film is sympathetic towards queer people which isn’t something I always see when I look for older queer movies due to the prevalence of the Hays code in the US. As a queer woman, for me, watching older films like this gives me that feeling of sonder but towards the past. As intimidating coming out to new people can be, there’s something reassuring in thinking about how queer people have always existed and flourished in their own ways that they were able to.
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