Elective Affinities (film)

Elective Affinities (Die Wahlverwandtschaften) is a 1974 East German drama film directed by Siegfried Kühn. It follows the dynamics which follow when a couple invite two other people. The film is based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1809 novel Elective Affinities. It was released by the DEFA film studio on 27 August 1974.

Cast

 * Beata Tyszkiewicz as Charlotte
 * Hilmar Thate as Eduard
 * Magda Vasary as Ottilie
 * Gerry Wolff as the Captain
 * Horst Schulze as Mittler
 * Christine Schorn as Baroness
 * Volkmar Kleinert as Count
 * Jana Plichtová as Luciane
 * Nico Turoff as gardener
 * Jost Braun as architect

Reception
The journal Film-Dienst wrote: "In the historical scenography and in the dialogue, the film misses the issues of the original work; shortenings and tightenings occasionally make the developments incomprehensible. What in Goethe is presented as a clash of moral and natural laws, appears in the film as a questioning of norms, moral and ethics of civil marriage. For literature fans still a remarkable contribution."