Vor Sonnenuntergang (1956)

Privy Councillor Matthias Clausen is a lonely old man. He has just celebrated his 70th birthday and received many honors. But Clausen, a major industrialist and the senior head of a chemical company, feels surrounded in his family by selfish “vultures,” all eager to get their hands on the inheritance he is expected to leave as soon as possible, and who treat him with deceit and dishonesty. Above all, the old man deeply distrusts Erich Klamroth, the company director who married into the family and is the husband of his daughter Ottilie, as well as Wolfgang Clausen. Only the young Egbert, who is open and unselfish toward him, is a praiseworthy exception. Then, shortly before the sun finally sets on his life, Matthias encounters great love once more in the person of the young, fresh-faced Inken Peters. She is entirely free of deceit and accepts him as he is. Old Clausen then hires Inken as his private secretary, setting off a minor earthquake in the family. For now the Clausens and Klamroths show their true colors. They are outraged that the old man apparently intends to go courting again. If he dies soon, this could mean that the great inheritance passes them by. Before long, with the exception of Egbert, he is surrounded by a phalanx of family adversaries. To prevent themselves from being cut out, the rest of the family clan decides to have the old man declared legally incompetent and also accuses Inken Peters of being a fortune hunter. The young woman is far less outraged by this outrageous accusation than Matthias Clausen, who becomes so incensed that his already frail health deteriorates further. Inken begs Clausen to leave this breeding ground of envy and greed with her at once. After a fainting spell, which Matthias Clausen survives for the time being, he later signs the notes Inken has been keeping: recordings he had made in his Frankfurt hotel room, which she now presents to him in a clean copy for his signature, thereby documenting his last wishes.