Review of Element of Crime in When it gets dark and cold in Berlin: The subtle difference between melancholy and nostalgia

In the announcements of the documentary “Element of Crime in When it gets dark and cold in Berlin“The eponymous music group is described as “the best-known unknown or the most unknown known band in the German-speaking area”. But of course this is pure marketing and is intended primarily to flatter those who are already familiar with the group. Of course, the men around singer, guitarist, trumpeter and mastermind Sven Regener are not on the same level of success as Toten Hosen, Pur or other mega acts that fill football stadiums. But they are really not unknown. This is already shown in the first images of the cinema documentary, when the rock musicians, who were originally inspired by the spirit of punk, the avant-garde and the new wave, but have now also been playing massive chanson, folk and jazz elements on the huge stage for four decades perform in a packed concert arena.

The framework of the film by Charly Hübner, otherwise known primarily as an acting star (“Mittagsstunde”) and more recently as a feature film director (“Sophia, Death and I”), is a week-long tour by the band through their hometown of Berlin. Five concerts were recorded in as many locations, from the intimate private club to the theater hall of the Admiralspalast to the open air in front of 10,000 fans in the courtyard of the Spandau Citadel. The performance segments, loosely interspersed between formal and improvised conversations, backstage impressions and archive material, show the group in all of these deliberately very different performance locations as consistently confident, yet spontaneous and always rousing performers – characteristics that are familiar to all those who have already experienced an element of crime have attended a concert and are familiar with them.

In the voiceover after the first song “Young and Beautiful,” Charly Hübner reveals himself to be a long-time admirer of the group. In 2017, the actor also played the title role in the comedy film “Magical Mystery or: The Return of Karl Schmidt” written by lead singer Sven Regener. There is both a professional and emotional connection between the filmmaker and his subject – which in this case is not only completely okay, but more than beneficial for the final product. In the interviews with the musicians, Hübner raises topics that certainly go far beyond what a documentary filmmaker who was “uninformed” about the matter would have touched on.

Hübner is quite specific, especially when it comes to the group’s eventful history in the then divided but later reunited city of Berlin. He never slips into nerdy fanboy behavior that could bore or even turn off people who might be getting serious about Element of Crime for the first time through his films. It is very helpful that the interviewees come up with lots of, sometimes likable, quirky anecdotes that make the whole thing sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always entertaining.

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At the end of the film you have the feeling that you have actually gotten to know the band members – both as a division and as a creative unit. In her look back at a unique career, there is a lot of melancholy, but never heavy-handed nostalgia, in keeping with her songs. We can guess what singer Regener might think about on some days. Or what guitarist Jakob Ilja would complain about or be particularly happy about. Or what exactly this drummer Richard Pappik thought of it and why they all miss their bassist David Young, who died in 2022, so much. We also finally understand why the Elements initially work with English lyrics on various albums, but then suddenly with German lyrics – and why they “had to” name themselves after a film by Lars von Trier of all things.

Conclusion: “Element of Crime in When It Gets Dark and Cold in Berlin” and the also really good “Wildes Herz” about the punk rockers Feinecreme Fischfilet, which was released in cinemas in 2018, make it clear: There is currently hardly anyone in Germany who is more empathetic and This makes all-round better music documentarians. If you want to see a film about musicians in which you not only get to know the history and sound of the band, but also their motivations and thoughts behind it, Charly Hübner’s work is the right choice. And there are a few stubborn catchy tunes to boot.

We saw “Element of Crime in When It Gets Dark and Cold in Berlin” as part of the Hamburg Film Festival, where the film also celebrated its world premiere.