Friday film blogging, or "Du jetzt hol' aber mal Sekt"

At the end of what turned out to be another week from hell, here's a little comic relief: a scene from one of my favourite films ever, Helmut Käutner's Die Zürcher Verlobung (1954) - and a poignant one at that.

It is poignant, first of all, because of the many chairs with spindly legs and the exotic ear furnishings.

Secondly, it is remarkable for all the metareferential "blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality" stuff that is going on in the first part. Very postmodern.

But finally, the scene is educationally significant. Towards the end, the little chubby boy ("Pips") with his poodle ("Püppi") has to be coaxed away from his science project (dismantling the Volksempfänger radio) and up the wooden hill.

With what? A Play Station? A portfolio of blue-chip shares? A reefer?

No: This marvellous little brat only desires a banana or two!

Oh ye pitiable contemporary producers of greedy discerning, brand-conscious and peer-group-pressured baby consumers, those were the days!