Der Erfinder

The inventor who does not know that his invention does already exist. With Bruno Ganz

"In this interesting World War I drama, Bruno Ganz gives a compelling performance as Jakob, an obsessive inventor who lives in a Swiss village. He receives unconditional support from his friend Otti (Walo Luond), but that is about all; the other villagers do not tolerate Jakob's eccentricities very well. He perserveres in spite of this obstacle and finally invents a viable carriage that does not run on wheels but on a tread. Unfortunately for Jakob, the military have already come up with the same invention: the tank."
Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

"Ganz is more observant in Swiss director Kurt Gloor's brutally sardonic DER ERFINDER (THE INVENTOR), and that proves his downfall as well. He's a Swiss peasant, pacifist, and socialist who inquires deeper into the nature of things than his fellows and is regarded as a bit of a loony, even by his supportive wife. He sees the local count's car get stuck once again in the mud and thinks, "What if a wagon could be made that carries its own road with it? It would make the world a better place, would it not?" The treachery of human nature sees to it that it doesn't as his invention adds to the ongoing horrors of World War I and earns the inventor a diabolical fate."
Peter Keough, The Boston Phoenix