Die Alm an der Grenze (1951)

When Martl, the farmer from Bründlhof, asks Mayor Pfroitner for his daughter Zäzil’s hand in marriage, he gets rejected twice over: the mayor considers him beneath his daughter, and Zäzil is annoyed that Martl didn’t speak to her first. She doesn’t think he’s man enough for her, especially since she has fallen in love with Sepp, Martl’s forceful woodcutter. Sepp impresses numerous women in the village with his bold manner. One day, the mayor arrives at Martl’s with a border policeman to arrest Sepp. The astonished Martl learns that his hired hand has escaped from prison and, ever since coming to Bründlhof, has been involved in smuggling across the border. Martl offers to bring back Sepp, who is currently up in the mountains, and hand him over to the police. He manages to find Sepp in a remote mountain hut, but to his great annoyance, Sepp isn’t alone: Zäzil is with him. Just as Martl is about to leave, an avalanche comes down and buries all three of them in the hut. In this hour of trial, Zäzil recognizes the fundamental difference between the two men: Martl proves to be the strong one, using all his strength to keep the hut from collapsing under the weight of the snow. He saves all three of their lives, while Sepp has fearfully given up on himself. Helpers who have hurried up the mountain clear the roof of the hut. When a rope is lowered, Sepp immediately grabs it to be pulled up first, but Martl roughly shoves him aside and hands the rope to Zäzil. He lets himself be pulled up last. After Sepp manages to slip away amid the general confusion, he commits another disgraceful act, prompting two border guards to pursue him. As he jumps across a wide crevice, the fugitive misjudges the distance and plunges into the depths. By now, Zäzil knows who “the special one” is and regrets having rejected Martl. Soon afterward, Martl is elected the new mayor and returns to the Pfroitnerhof, where Zäzil comes joyfully to meet him. They fall into each other’s arms without a word and kiss, and, of course, the young woman is now more than happy to say yes to him.