Die Jungfrauen von Bumshausen (1970)

"Die Jungfrauen von Bumshausen" (1970), directed by Hans Billian, is a German sex comedy that blends folklore with risqué humor. The film is set in the fictional village of Bumshausen, where a legend claims that a wind called the "Faun" enhances male potency, leading to a high birth rate. However, the real reason for this fertility boom is revealed to be the village's women engaging in sexual escapades while their husbands are away. The plot humorously explores this discrepancy between myth and reality, focusing on the antics of the local blacksmith, Michael Horn, who is the actual cause of the village's high fertility rate due to his sexual exploits. The film features actors like Joav Jasinski, Maria Brockerhoff, Helga Tölle, and Michaela Martin. The performances are noted for their comedic timing, fitting the film's light-hearted, bawdy nature. The actors effectively play into the stereotypes of the genre, with exaggerated flirtations and sexual scenarios. The humor is very much of its time, relying on sexual innuendo, double entendres, and the slapstick comedy typical of German sex comedies from the '60s and '70s. Critics have pointed out that the film doesn't shy away from clichés, depicting women largely as objects of desire or mischief makers, which aligns with the era's portrayal of gender roles in such comedies.