A wide-ranging, energetic period piece tracing the rise of the Protestant Henry of Navarre as he goes from battlefield warrior to France's beloved King Henri IV. Director Jo Baier's epic is a classically entertaining adventure, albeit one with more than a little bloodshed and frequent bawdy sexual interludes. In late 16th-century France, Catholics and Protestant Huguenots were at war. Seemingly seeking peace, the French dowager queen, Catherine de Medici summons Henry to her court to have him marry her daughter, uniting the two warring factions. However, the Catholics slaughter the Protestant wedding guests in what became known as the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre and Henry-now married-must use all his guile to both stay alive and maneuver for the throne. [Written by Palm Springs International Film Festival]
Professor Unrat, head of the film department at a San Francisco University, discovers that three of his students have made an erotic film featuring a notorious cabaret performer named Lola. The Professor confiscates the film, and while watching it becomes totally obsessed with the woman. His complete destruction is guaranteed as he begins a tortuous journey into a world of depravity and deceit
When the old University Professor discovers that some of his pupils often sneak into a speakeasy, The Blue Angel, to visit a dancer, Lola, he comes there to confront them. But instead he is attracted to Lola. He returns the next night to The Blue Angel to spend time with Lola and stays overnight. This causes problems at his work and his life takes a steep downward spiral.
Armando, a single high-school teacher living a steady life, sees his world crumbles when he falls in love with Laura, the ex-girlfriend of one of his favorite students.
Diederich Heßling is scared of everything and everyone. But as he grows up, he comes to realize that he has to offer his services to the powers-that-be if he wants to wield power himself. His life motto now runs: bow to those at the top and tread on those below. In this way, he always succeeds: as a student in a duel-fighting student fraternity and as a businessman in a paper factory. He cajoles the obese district administrative president Von Wulkow and wins his favor. He slanders his financial rivals and hatches a plot with the social democrats in the town council. On his honeymoon with his rich wife Guste, he finally finds a chance to do his beloved Kaiser a favor. And when a memorial to the Kaiser is unveiled in the town where Diederich lives and works, he delivers the address. He stands behind the lectern in the pouring rain, saluting his Kaiser. The crowd is dispersed. Everything is laid in ruins...
