Wunder:] _ de -r Schöpfung / is$ an extraordi:nary, fas$ci.,nating Kulturfilm tryin,g to ,.-]expl#
ain the whole human kn,*owledge o\?f t
[h ;e 1920;:s about the# world _?and the univ*`%(e`?%rse;. 15 =:specia;`l effe ;cts exper` ts and 9$ c[ 
ameramen@ w[ere .__.invo(.lved in th$e: pr,
:o,duction of this %:==film,*@ w_[hich combin:!_e-s do[$:cu(^mentary# scenes, historical doc\+uments, fiction el)eme[nts, ani].mation `scenes and education+al im/^)@\pact. I_+t its bea*utiful(ly$  colo$red, `using tinti!ng@! and\ toning in a ve; -+ry=?# elaborated way. Some\` visual ideas ?^.[ in the /sequence%+/#s w% it(-h a space shut.tle\ vi!(sit#*ing different - planet\s @in the univers#?e seem to have to be the .;ins;\piration for Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odys_sey.　　I+\n t,@/$he ) =cont-ext o
f G#-ermany's Kulturfilm% ph? enomen,on, Wund*,e_ r der## S))=)chöpfu ;.n\g ?@ was [^among)/ the greatest _-achievem`ent_`#s o=/f the 1920s. Th_ e producti on w?as con?!s#%truct(^ed( \, rehe^arsed+-, and sh\o)]\t over a peri^:od of two%.)-- an!- d @a ha\ lf ye)[ ars, und
(e\.%r t)he )su(pe-rvi;:=sion of /-(Hanns Walte],r Ko[rnblum. T @he idea \;to desc+$ribe the =uni$)-verse a!!%nd man' s place in it well ;)sui`]ted UFA's Grossfilm mentality, one y#e.:ar before!# the )%)Metropoli
.]::s catastrophe!? . Hund*+r e[ds  of .+ s[$kille]\)d cra]f/tsmen partic$?ipat]ed !+in the project, bui(_``lding^ props#! )%#and constructi#ng scale mod;?.els dra(,wn  b_+y /=1`\5 speci,al ef:f]-ects draughtsm +e$*n,* + whil*e .9 cam!.e\]ramen in+$ separa\\(*te un\its worked%)* on the historical, documen\,,tary$, fiction, ani=mation, and science-fiction sequences. Without star ro[/ les :or e^%_ven protagonists, / [t*he film's p,lo*\t is= crowded *;@wi=th meticu*#lousl`))=y str-#.=ucture.d an(/!d ski,llfu#(lly acte?(d single/*; scenes an artful m =\osa ic--? of small vig]*]nett.)es. No less than four credite_,$d university professors ((en\*sure%.d .-.th#,e fa+ ctual backgroun:$d behi- nd the s cientific
%and histo:[@-r)
ical events por_tra /yed.　　The film's symbol o],f p*rogress an d the, new s
[ci`entific era ,(is a spa*)^%cecraft, travel:]li%ng through the Milky W+)ay, making all
 \,t],he planets and the
#ir ins//]piring worl]-ds  familiar to_.  us, wi%`t?*$h the extravaganza of! thei+r disti$n/\ct/ive features. T,he ^;film@
@'s *)e `ducat$^ional! intenti(/ons, ho)#.wev[=%er, @? )$become: s?[teadily more # ;obs%cu,re, humorous, or even \*campy as this populariza#%ti@ on project%: -#+p[.roceeds. Wi^/th the
exc \u!`se of p-resenti[!ng the?
 en,`d of the  w@:]orld a not)$ ?-so+-new concept as a new, unde, niably s(,cientific truth, the fi]lm ]-v^@# eer\]]s happ^)?+ily \along .a new pat;h, display$:ing detai@.le d apocalyptic scene`)s,@( o:`_-f the end*,
of ma_ n?
@.k^ind. For to[ day's_ audiences`
,_ this am  azi @!^ng film demons trat!.!.es h.\$\ow th/ e )]+!universe[ was -comprehended in the 1920s, and how @`that view w)
;as[. sold to conte(@]mpor=%ary audiences.