Benno Sterzenbach, born in 1916 in Osnabrück, was a German actor whose career spanned several decades and mediums. In Hostage (1983), he delivers a compelling performance that adds depth to the film's exploration of tension and survival. Known for his theatrical roots, Sterzenbach transitioned into cinema, bringing a rich stage presence to the screen. His work in Hostage exemplifies the gritty realism of 1980s exploitation cinema, making him a noteworthy figure in SassyFlix's catalog.
Hostage
Christine is a young runaway working at the sideshow alley of a Carnival. Young, free, and flirty, she innocently ends up with fellow Carnival worker Walter Maresch, a young and handsome German man, never dreaming she'd become his hostage. His sadistic side slowly reveals itself and Christine is strong-armed into marriage. She's enticed to accompany him to West Germany where Walter rejoins his circle of Nazi sympathisers. Life becomes a living hell for Christine with her psychotic neo-Nazi husband who controls her every move. Her only hope to survive is to get back home to Australia. A cult favourite, this is one of the biggest Ozploitation films in Australian movie history and still captures enough of your attention as it did when it was first released 37 years ago. Kerry Mack is a natural in her role as Christine, while Ralph Schicha is easy on the eye but a little wooden in his performance. Judy Nunn was a bit of a surprise in the role of Mrs Lewis, Christine's mum, in no less than her best in her performance. She at least injected some life into the film. A sign of its times perhaps, with shades of being a B grade movie, in spite of the nightmare Christine went through, the film does not abound with intensity or excitement in the way it's filmed and is pretty laid back. However, one has to enjoy it for the era it was filmed in, much like you wouldn't want to change a silent movie or a Charlie Chaplin film. Its true story makes it one of the most enduring and significant films of Australian cinema in the 80s and is still very watchable.
