Wo der Wildbach rauscht (1956)

At the Mittendorf village festival, the wealthy farmer Muralt dances with Maria, a maid. He believes she is the right woman for him and sends his head farmhand, Wolf, to propose to her the next day. Maria, however, loves Lorenz, the mayor’s son, and turns down Muralt’s proposal. Although the mayor has chosen another bride for Lorenz, it is decided that Lorenz and Maria will marry. The wedding caller, who goes from house to house personally delivering the invitations, also visits Muralt. Lorenz wanted to make fun of him and had already bet that Muralt would refuse an invitation to the wedding of the woman he loved, but Muralt accepts. After the ceremony, he shows up drunk at the wedding celebration and demands his dance with the bride. Lorenz refuses and taunts him, saying he invited him only so he could deny him the traditional dance with the bride in front of everyone. The people of Mittendorf throw Muralt out. Muralt seeks comfort from his housekeeper, Agnes, and avoids Lorenz and Maria. On his way to his woodland property on the Pescherkogel, he always has to cross a narrow footbridge over the mountain stream. There he encounters Lorenz, who blocks his way in the middle of the bridge. They struggle, and Lorenz loses his balance and falls to his death. Maria is especially devastated by her husband’s death, as she is pregnant with his child. Muralt is arrested for murder. All the people of Mittendorf testify against him; only Maria does not believe Muralt is a murderer. He is sentenced to 20 years in prison. Agnes, whose testimony had played a significant part in Muralt’s arrest, leaves the village. Wolf throws after her a necklace she had forgotten in her room. The years pass. Maria’s son grows up, and Wolf, now head farmhand and steward, gives money to the whole village, so that eventually almost everyone there is in Muralt’s debt. In prison, Muralt plans revenge on the people of Mittendorf and eventually even wants the trees on the Pescherkogel cut down, so the mountain stream will carry away the earth and destroy the houses in Mittendorf. But when he is released from prison after 20 years, he has become more forgiving. He abandons his plans for revenge. He goes to Maria to thank her for her testimony after his arrest, and she is well disposed toward him. Her son Lenz, however, reacts with hatred. He never got to know his father and is now 20 years old. Lenz loves Regina, a young woman who has recently started working as a waitress at the village tavern. She treats Muralt without prejudice, and he hires her as his housekeeper. Lenz is horrified and confronts her, prompting Regina to turn away from him. The people of Mittendorf grow increasingly resentful and write a defamatory letter, which they circulate around the village and which discusses Muralt’s relationship with Regina. Muralt now wants revenge and plans to cut down the trees on the Pescherkogel. The people of Mittendorf then storm his farm, turn the horses loose, and smash the windows. Lenz and Muralt engage in a duel. That same night, Regina packs her things and flees. In her room, Wolf finds the necklace he once threw after Agnes and realizes that Regina is Agnes’s daughter. Since Agnes had slept with Muralt, Regina is also Muralt’s illegitimate child. Wolf rides after Regina and brings her back. In Mittendorf, Muralt goes to the forest on the Pescherkogel to cut down the first tree with his own hands. Lenz leads the men of Mittendorf, who try to stop Muralt from crossing the mountain stream. Maria and Gäbri, the village fool, want to prevent a confrontation, but arrive too late: in the middle of the footbridge, Muralt and Lenz begin to fight. Muralt, remembering his fatal struggle with Lorenz, loses his balance and falls into the depths just as Lorenz did. He survives and is pulled ashore by Maria and Gäbri. The incident calms tempers, especially now that Regina’s identity has become known. By allowing Lenz and Regina to marry, Muralt also puts an end to the discord between their two families.