[Opening credits, black text on white, in German]
– Adapted from the novel fragment Die Geschäfte des Herrn Julius Caesar [1937–39] by Bertolt Brecht
– Geschichtsunterricht
– Film by Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet
– Renato Berta, Emilio Bestetti, Image
– Jeti Grigioni, Sound
– Leo Mingrone, Sebastian Schadhauser, Benedikt Zulauf, Assistance
[End credits, scrolling, black text on white]
– Gottfried Bold, the Banker; Johann Unter – pertinger, the Peasant; Henri Ludwig, the Lawyer; Carl Vaillant, the Writer; Benedikt Zulauf, the Young Man; Color: LV di Luciano Vittori
PRODUCTION: Straub-Huillet, Rome; Janus Film und Fernseh-Produktion, Frankfurt. MUSIC: J. S. Bach, Saint Matthew’s Passion, BWV 244.
PRODUCTION DATES AND LOCATIONS: three weeks in Rome, Frascati, Trentino-Alto Adige and on Elba, June–July 1972.
EQUIPMENT: 1 Éclair-Coutant, 4 prime lenses, 1 zoom lens and 1 Nagra.
FILM STOCK: Eastman 7254 (7,560 m.).
FINAL LENGTH: 961 m. COST: 65,000 DM.
SUBTITLED IN ENGLISH by Huillet and Misha Donat, IN FRENCH by Huillet, IN ITALIAN by Huillet and Adriano Aprà, Leo and Gianna Mingrone, IN DEUTCH by Huillet and Frans van de Staak.
FIRST SCREENING: private, 1972 Mannheim Film Festival (October 10); 1973 New York Film Festival.
TV PREMIERE: May 20, 1974 (ARD, West Germany).
