10 film classics starring Munich

"Go for it, Baby" (Zur Sache Schätzchen) was one of the most successful comedies of the New German Cinema era, with German actors Uschi Glas and Werner Enke starring in May Spil's humorous 1960s movie. The charming and amorous couple represented the social conflicts found in Munich at the time. "Go for it, Baby" was as popular as it was revolutionary, and is filled with a lot of Munich charm.

Herbert Achterbusch without Munich — that is virtually unimaginable. Hardly any other German director is so closely linked with the city as he is. And what do outsiders think of when they think of Munich? Oktoberfest, of course! Achternbusch filmed his movie "Bierkampf" at the beer festival in 1977. He also starred in it, donning a police uniform and relishing in this rather absurd character.

With "Fear Eats the Soul" (Angst essen Seele auf), legendary Munich-based director Rainer Werner Fassbinder shot one of his most beautiful and emotional films in his hometown in 1973. Focused on an unlikely romance between a 50-something Emma (Brigitte Mira) and her much young lover Ali (El Hedi Ben Salem), the film explores the underbelly of the Bavarian capital — and its discrimination.

Whereas Fassbinder focuses on the seedy side of Munich, film director Helmut Dietl prefers exploring the city's famous glamorous exterior. In his 1997 film "Rossini," a famous pub turns out to be the protagonist in the film, shining in all its evening glory.

In addition to Spain, the great Orson Welles shot part of his Cold War thriller "Mr. Arkadin" in Munich. Welles (right) plays the title role, a mysterious billionaire who hires an American smuggler played by Robert Arden to uncover his forgotten past. Partly shot in December 1954 at Jacobsplatz in Munich, the film — which is actually also set in Berlin — had numerous European locations.

A few months after Welles' filming, German-French director Max Ophüls shot his last film, the historical romance "Lola Montez," in the Bavarian metropolis. Centered around the celebrated dancer and courtesan Lola Montez, also mistress to King Ludwig I of Bavaria, locations included Munich's English Garten and Circus Krone's tent. Lola was played by celebrated French actress Martine Carol.

French director Alain Resnais shot his 1961 masterpiece, not in the Czech city of Marienbad referenced in the title, but in Munich. The director and his cinematographer, Sacha Vierny, captured beautiful images of the castles and parks at Nymphenburg and Schleißheim. "Last Year in Marienbad," one of the most aesthetically impressive films in cinema history, turns out to a Munich film in disguise.

One of the most beautiful Munich films can neither be classified as a feature film nor as a documentary. Shot in 2000 by director Dominik Graf and critic Michael Althen, "München — Geheimnisse einer Stadt" (Munich — Secrets of a City) is a poetically playful film essay with both documentary and staged sequences. If you want to get to the heart of this city, this film reveals a few of its secrets.

Director Edgar Reitz explored the Munich of the 1960s in the second series in his groundbreaking "Heimat" trilogy exploring German history and culture. Reitz showcased the Bavarian city via an enchanting mixture of nostalgia and avant-garde, of delight and melancholy. Rarely has one seen a Munich so open, likeable and friendly than in Reitz' "Second Home" (Die Zweite Heimat).