08/15 is a 1954–55 West German film trilogy directed by Paul May and based on the novel 08/15 by Hans Hellmut Kirst who also served as the film's screenwriter (published in English as "The Revolt of Gunner Asch"). The term 08/15 (nill-eight/fifteen, ) refers to the German Army's standard machine gun, the 08/15 (or MG 08 model 15), by far, the most common German machine gun deployed in World War I. It was manufactured in such large quantities that it became the German Army slang for anything that was standard issue.
The film follows the story of Private Asch, a German soldier in World War II. The film title implies that Asch, and the soldiers under his command, were unostentatious (i.e. "run-of-the-mill") characters deployed on the Eastern Front.Bartov, Omer (2004). "Celluloid Soldiers: Cinematic Images of the Wehrmacht". In Ljubica & Mark Erickson. Russia War, Peace and Diplomacy. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. .
Premise The last of the 08/15 film trilogy ends with Germany being occupied by American soldiers who are portrayed as bubble-gum chewing, slack-jawed, uncultured louts, inferior in every respect to the heroic German soldiers. The only exception is the Jewish emigrant, now a US officer, who is shown as both intelligent and unscrupulous, the fact interpreted by Professor Omer Bartov as implying that the "real tragedy of World War II was that the Nazis did not get a chance to exterminate all Semites, who have now returned with Germany's defeat to once more exploit the German people". "Although Asch is never identified with the Americans – indeed, in the final film of the trilogy, the Americans appear to be nearly as dangerous a foe as the SS."Screening War: Perspectives on German Suffering, page 26.
Parts Part 1: In der Kaserne (In the Barracks) Part 2: Im Krieg (In War)
Cast
Actor 08/15 08/15: Zweiter Teil 08/15 in der Heimat Wilfried Seyferth Luschke Harry Hardt Derna Heinz-Peter Scholz Dr. Sämig Rainer Penkert Wedelmann Wedelmann Emmerich Schrenk Fritz Schulz Fritz Schulz Fritz Schulz Hans-Christian Blech Platzek Platzek Platzek Hans Elwenspoek Werktreu Werktreu Reinhard Glemnitz Lindenberg Rudolf Rhomberg Rumpler Wolfgang Wahl Schwitzke Dietrich Thoms Wunderlich Schirrmeister Joachim Fuchsberger Herbert Asch Herbert Asch Herbert Asch Peter Carsten Kowalski Kowalski Kowalski Paul Bösiger Hannes Vierbein Hannes Vierbein Hannes Vierbein Helen Vita Lore Schulz Lore Schulz Lore Schulz Eva-Ingeborg Scholz Elisabeth Freitag Elisabeth Asch Gundula Korte Ingrid Asch Ingrid Asch Herbert Kroll Freitag Freitag Walter Klock Asch Asch Asch Mario Adorf Wagner Wagner Stamm O. E. Hasse von Plönnies von Plönnies Rolf Kutschera Witterer Ellen Schwiers Natascha Gitta Lind Charlotte Erica Beer Viola Ulla Melchinger Lisa Armin Dahlen Infanterie-Major Manfred Schuster Krause Otto Bolesch Unteroffizier der Abwehr Klaus Pohl Winziger Hannes Schiel Georg Hauk Gustav Knuth Hinrichsen Michael Janisch Greifer Renate Ewert Barbara Bruks Edith Schultze-Westrum Frau Brahm Kurt Heintel James Howard Vernon John Arnulf Schröder Volkssturmführer Rudolf Rhomberg NSDAP-Ortsgruppenleiter Hans Friedrich Horn
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