Lemming comes to the big screen

Leopold Wallisch alias Lemming, the likeable private detective created by Stefan Slupetzky, has earned himself a loyal readership in the last few years. As the quintessential antihero he is now investigating his first murder on the big screen.

Murder, love and a dog

The private detective and former policeman Leopold Wallisch (Fritz Karl) has the job of shadowing the sadistic retired Latin teacher Dr. Grinzinger. When Grinzinger is suddenly found murdered, he decides to find out who killed him. During his investigations, Lemming crosses paths with his nasty former boss Krotznig, played in masterly fashion by Roland Düringer, whose coarse manner was the reason for Lemming to leave the force – voluntarily but in a somewhat unorthodox way. The two rivals now set about solving the case, with Krotznig doing his utmost to put obstacles in Lemming’s way.




The private detective also has plenty of other problems to deal with. He has to look after a strange dog, who was at the murder site and has been following him ever since. And he also falls for a vet, who seems somehow to be mixed up in the case as the sister of one of Grinzinger’s former pupils. Lemming has a number of questions to clear up. Does the vet, Klara Breitner (played by Julia Koschitz), feel the same way about him? What is behind the dog’s strange behaviour? And what about the suicide twenty years ago of David Neumann, a former pupil of Grinzinger and a friend of Klara’s brother?

Lemming in Vienna

The investigation takes Lemming all over Vienna, from the Kahlenberg to the Prater. “It’s a long time since there has been a murder mystery in Vienna,” says producer Helmut Grasser. “Lemming’s case follows on in the tradition of Kottan.” While the legendary 1980s TV series Kottan ermittelt has acquired cult status, it remains to be seen how Lemming will fare on screen.




The film is well worth seeing in particular on account of its black humour – one of the features of Slupetzky’s books. And it is not exclusively for fans of detective fiction. Director Nikolaus Leytner is at pains to point out that Der Fall des Lemmings is not a classic whodunit. “The drama focuses on the rivalry between Krotznig and Lemming, and the way they play with one another. I have tried to be as authentic as possible, but the tension comes mainly from the real subject of the film, which is power and subordination.”




These two themes recur in Slupetzky’s story. Krotznig represents not only the abuse of power but also everyday sexism and racism. Obviously, the film cannot portray these themes in as much detail as the book. The film crew, headed by director Leytner and screenwriter Agnes Pluch, have nevertheless managed to capture the linguistic style of the author, who collaborated in the screenplay and helped with the adaptations required to bring the book to the screen. “Books and films are two completely different media. It’s as if a deep-sea diver were to attempt to climb a mountain: his diving suit will be of no use to him in the Himalayas. I understand this and have no problem with it.”