Kino favorites: Top 10 German dramas

In 1966, Volker Schlöndorff filmed "Young Törless" based on a novel by Robert Musil. The drama about a young student at an Austrian military academy shot actor Mathieu Carrière to stardom - and turned the director into a specialist for literary film adaptations. In Schlöndorff's film, Carrière played a young man caught between adolescence and morality, rebellion and desire.

Christian Petzold has become one of the most renowned filmmakers in German cinema. His contemporary dramas fascinate with their chilled style. In 2000, he released "The State I Am In," a film about the conflict between a 15-year-old and his parents, who were involved in left-wing terrorist activities in the past.

Just 15 years after the end of World War II, Bernhard Wicki presented an excellent anti-war film with "The Bridge." The story of seven 16-year-old Germans, who are sent on a senseless military mission shortly before the war is over, still has a strong impact today. "The Bridge" features talented actors and takes an uncompromising look at the reality of war.

Director Werner Herzog and actor Klaus Kinski formed a legendary partnership. In 1972, Herzog filmed the Latin American drama "Aguirre, the Wrath of God." Filmed on location, the movie told the fictional story of a Spanish conqueror from the 16th century. Many years later, in 1999, Herzog would make a documentary about Kinski (pictured), called "My Best Fiend."

Wolfgang Petersen received six Oscar nominations for his 1983 film, "Das Boot," about a German submarine in 1941. Even though he didn't win a statue, Petersen's wartime drama has become a classic. It's a gripping production that draws the viewer into the dangerous, claustrophobic and fearful world of a wartime submarine sailor.

Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" is a landmark silent film. In 1927, the innovative director worked together with a large team of designers to lend the film an impressive futuristic feeling. With "Metropolis," Lang inspired many directors to come after him, and today the film's influence can still be felt in modern Hollywood productions.

Director Chris Kraus made the melodrama "Four Minutes" a decade ago, featuring two protagonists played by Monica Bleibtreu (right) and Hannah Herzsprung. The younger woman is serving a prison sentence, while the older gives piano lessons to the prisoners. "Four Minutes" tells the story of two women who come from completely different worlds.

Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" is considered a masterpiece of European cinema. In 2009, the black-and-white film set during the aftermath of World War I was awarded a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. "The White Ribbon" reflects the burdened emotional sentiment of the interwar period in a small town in northern Germany - and foreshadows catastrophes to come.

Fatih Akin's "Head On" is one of the more emotionally stirring films to come out of Germany in recent decades. Akin tells the story of two lost souls - a couple who meets in a hospital after each had attempted suicide. The film stars Birol Ünel and Sibel Kekilli.

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's "The Lives of Others" from 2006 is a debut film that continues to astound. The story digs deep into the surveillance and mistrust experienced by East Germans in the 80s. Ulrich Mühe delivers an impressive performance in the lead role as a Stasi officer tasked with spying on his fellow citizens. From costumes to dramaturgy, ever aspect of the film was exceptional.