The Sinner () is a 1951 West German romantic drama film directed by Willi Forst and starring Hildegard Knef, Gustav Fröhlich and Änne Bruck. It was shot at the Bendestorf Studios and on location in Naples, Rome and Positano. The film's sets were designed by the art director Franz Schroedter. Plot It is a love story between the prostitute Marina and the unsuccessful artist Alexander, who suffers from a cancer which makes him blind and ill. They are happy for a short period in Italy. Despite Marina's loving care, Alexanders health gets worse and they together commit suicide in the end. Scandal It was one of the first German films to break several taboos: nudity, suicide and euthanasia. In the Germany of the 1950s, this caused a lot of negative reactions both by politicians and the Roman Catholic Church. The opposition reached the degree of banning the film and scandalizing it, which paradoxically made it one of the landmarks in the German film history. Despite or because of the scandal, Die Sünderin proved to be the breakthrough role of Hildegard Knef. Cast Hildegard Knef as Marina Gustav Fröhlich as Alexander Änne Bruck as Marina's mother Wera Frydtberg as a colleague Robert Meyn as Marina's stepfather Jochen-Wolfgang Meyn as Marina's stepbrother Andreas Wolf as a doctor Notes and references External links 1951 films 1951 romantic drama films German romantic drama films West German films 1950s German-language films German black-and-white films Films directed by Willi Forst Films about prostitution in Germany Films about euthanasia Films about suicide Obscenity controversies in film 1950s German films