Das wilde Leben

(2007) Eight Miles High (In German with English subtitles) DRAMA/ BIOGRAPHY

Love it or hate it, all it is, is basically a true account (shown in stages) of a supposedly attractive female German model who got by as a result of her looks which anyone can find from every person you can possibly meet. The only difference with this one is that she made-out with 2 members of "The Rolling Stones" during the late 60's and 70's and she made a once wealthy tycoon to waste a lot of money on her by using most of it on an expensive bus for the purpose of traveling. I've only turned it off once upon watching through this, sometimes wondering aimlessly when she's going to disrobe again and make out with someone else since she's often nude throughout along with a few tiny dicks.

The story of Uschi Obermaier and her rise to fame in the 1960s. The film accurately depicts her life and in the process has many dope party scenes as well. The film is to premier in the US August 22 and I am excited to see how the English version will compare to the original German. Obermaier's accent is not "exaggerated" as the actress's native language is indeed German.

The unique viewpoint Uschi experienced during the social revolution makes for a very interesting film. Themes of growing up, life, learning to love, and experiencing loss all are major players. All in all, if you are looking for a film true to life, a film that doesn't gloss over the hardships and dull down the excitement of freedom, this is a movie for you.

I will catch this film when it plays here in Chicago in August. I was in Kommune 1 for a couple of weeks in March of 1969. There were two residences - Rainer Langhans, Uschi Obermaier, Dieter Kunzelmann stayed in the larger of the two, a factory loft sort of place. I stayed in the other residence, a dozen or so people in one large room. I went there with a friend from Frankfurt who wanted to reconcile with his girlfriend, who had left him for Dieter Kunzelmann. His girlfriend was unreceptive and he split right away. I was welcome to stay on for a while and did. It was easy living. Everyone was nice, except grouchy Dieter. No star attitudes or pretensions. Both Rainer and Uschi were very grounded, not at all affected by their notoriety. I think that set the tone. I'll give this film a 10 just on its subject matter.

A wonderful rendering of the 60s. If you grew up like me with the 1968 revolution as a mythical era, this film will make you jubilate. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, radical thinking, revolutionaries, and the research of freedom, pleasure and new horizons. Freeing of the mind, freeing of the body… In her small town in Bavaria, Obermaier feels the revolution pounding in her bones and can't stay in place in her confined, old-fashioned home. Listening to rock music is her escape but it simply is not enough. She takes off and lives in an activist commune for some time before becoming a lover of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and marrying a rich adventurer and traveling the world with him. A lively portrait of strong-willed Obermaier, her rebelliousness and search for unbound freedom. "Don't dream your life, live your dream" is a motto that appears in the film and could not apply better. Uschi appears unstoppable, ready to conquer the world, explore the confines of freedom. Inspiring.

I haven't seen the movie yet, I didn't know there was one, but I and some friends actually met Uschi and Dieter Bockhorn at the Maroon Bells Park in Aspen in early 80's, I think. I could look the date up on my slides, I guess. We spent the evening with them partying in their awesome, customized Mercedes bus overlooking the lake. It was really fun and interesting. We had NO idea who they were. Dieter was very cool, but couldn't speak English very well. Uschi translated for him but she had a heavy, very sexy, German-glish accent. They told us all about their travels, how they got their bus, about their wedding in India riding elephants, and about the magazine articles Dieter wrote…one was about "The Return of Uschi" so we figured she was obviously famous somehow, but we couldn't really understand the story with the language barrier and all. Not sure they even tried to explain. They were very friendly and down-to-earth. She was absolutely, amazingly, stunningly beautiful. Her hair was short then. She kissed me on the cheek when we said our goodbyes the next morning. Then we went our separate ways. We wrote back and forth a time or two. She said they were on their way to Baja Mexico where they went in the winters. I tried to look them up on the web without success, because I mistakenly tried looking for Uschi "Bockhorn." When I finally discovered her correct name and story I was stunned. And when I found out that Dieter had died, not too very long after we met them I was doubly-stunned and saddened. My middle son is named Dieter. Maybe I'll write her again sometime, maybe not, but I'll always remember that night. In the meantime I'm not sure if I want to get to know the Uschi of this movie or the Uschi I remember. We'll have to see.