, ▁and ▁was ▁larger ▁in ▁scale ▁even ▁than ▁Ernst ▁Th äl mann . ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁workers , ▁soldiers ▁and ▁People ' s ▁polic emen ▁were ▁used ▁as ▁ex tras ▁during ▁the ▁film ing . ▁Since ▁K iel , ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁revolution ▁took ▁place , ▁was ▁located ▁in ▁West ▁Germany , ▁the ▁direct ors ▁used ▁sets ▁that ▁were ▁constructed ▁in ▁Go er l itz , ▁W arn em ünd e ▁and ▁Rost ock . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁Ma etz ig ▁won ▁East ▁Germany ' s ▁National ▁Prize , ▁ 2 nd ▁degree , ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁film , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁special ▁Peace ▁Prize ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Moscow ▁International ▁Film ▁Festival . ▁ ▁DE FA ▁Studio ' s ▁director ▁Albert ▁Wil ken ing ▁wrote ▁that ▁no ▁picture , ▁except ▁Ernst ▁Th äl mann , ▁ever ▁touched ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁East ▁Germany ▁as ▁deeply ▁as ▁The ▁S ail or ' s ▁Song . ▁The ▁S ED ▁considered ▁it ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁greatest ▁cin ematic ▁achiev ements , ▁and ▁this ▁view ▁was ▁u ph eld ▁until ▁the ▁German ▁Re un ification . ▁Crit ics ▁M iera ▁and ▁Anton in ▁Lie hm ▁claimed ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁" made ▁for ▁order " ▁film ▁that ▁was ▁" cl ums y ▁and ▁heavy - hand ed ". ▁A ▁West ▁German ▁Film ▁Lex icon ▁c ited ▁it ▁as ▁" well ▁designed , ▁but ▁obviously ▁propag and