Just Don't Think I'll Cry

Peter Neumann is a high-school senior who sees the grownups around him as hypocritical, stuck in old certainties and more interested in self-approval than truth. After he hands in an essay that questions the values his teachers endorse, he is suspended and labeled a provocateur. The film follows the fallout as Peter's classmates, family and instructors react, and as officials intervene to reshape the movie itself. Censorship and rewrites interrupt the story, and the work itself becomes entangled with the political forces that try to silence it, without revealing later plot turns.

Directed by Frank Vogel and based on material by Joachim Nestler and Manfred Freitag, the picture premiered in 1965 but was soon banned by authorities. Cinematographer Ost restored the original cut in 1989, and that restored version was screened publicly in January 1990.

The title became notorious during the 1965-1966 ban wave, singled out by officials as "particularly harmful." That official condemnation made the film a reference point in debates about artistic freedom in its country, and its eventual reappearance contributed to a reassessment of the censored works from that era.

Critical reaction has shifted over time. Contemporary reviewers were limited by the ban, but later critics and scholars praised its unvarnished style and social focus, calling it an example of critical realism. The movie centers on generational conflict, the ethics of authority, and how institutions respond to dissent, and modern viewers tend to respond to its frankness and historical context. User ratings today give it a solid average, reflecting continued interest.

Because it was suppressed during its initial release, the film didn't receive major awards at the time and had little chance for formal recognition. Its reputation grew after restoration and screenings in 1990, when critics and film historians began to acknowledge its importance, though that attention did not translate into contemporary prize lists.