Hamburg. Hannes Kröger is a washed-out sailor whose best days are behind him, and thus earns his money as a singer and musician in Hippodrom, still in love with the owner Anita who doesn't care about him. It lies on the Great Freedom street, part of the Reeperbahn. Hannes is summoned by his sick brother Jan, who a long time ago ran away with his life savings, to take care of his lover Gisa. Jan then dies. Hannes goes to a village where Gisa lives, and she accepts to live at his apartment in Hamburg in order to escape from the judgmental rural people. Gisa however falls in love with Georg. Hannes prepares a dinner to propose Gisa, but she sleeps over at Georg. Disappointed, Hannes sells everything and boards a ship to leave the country.
An elevated example of a melodrama done in the best vein of D. Sirk or P. Almodovar, "Great Freedom No. 7" owes its successful balancing act to the director Halmut Kautner's craftmanship and Hans Albers' dignified, authentic performance which stayed remembered as one of his finest roles. Through the tale of the tragic protagonist Hannes the film touches upon the themes of resignation, disappointment and unrequited love, yet, luckily, it avoids turning too syrupy or pathetic due to several cleverly staged scenes. In the opening act, when the club owner Anita asks Hannes if he is coming back, and he replies with: "Where else should I go?", the viewers realize that this Red-light district is de facto his home, because he has nothing else. Several neat stylistic touches (Hannes spots a ship with the letters "Lisa" on it and imagines the word "Gisa" instead on the ship; the turbulence of Hannes finding out Gisa on a picnic with Georg is underlined by a storm; the unusual depiction of Hannes' dreams by having the close-up of his face on the lower side of the screen while the images of his dream are seen above) and camera drives enrich the film, whereas a few humorous moments help it as well (80 minutes into the film, a large fight erupts in the Hippodrom, but just as a whistle is heard, everyone stops for a second, and then gently starts dancing with ladies, just as the police enters the location). A few banal or "dry" drama moments bother here and there, the dialogue is sometimes too standard, whereas everything was clearly leading towards a tragic ending, which never manifested, yet overall, "Great Freedom No. 7" is an engaging and quality made achievement.
Grade:+++
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