Stars: Rüdiger Klink, Burghart Klaußner, Andrej Kaminsky
Storyline
The story of the man who brought high-ranking German Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann to justice.
Writers: Lars Kraume, Olivier Guez, Rüdiger Klink, Burghart Klaußner, Andrej Kaminsky, Rüdiger Klink, Burghart Klaußner, Andrej Kaminsky, Jörg Schüttauf, Carolin Stähler, Sebastian Blomberg, Michael Schenk, Stefan Gebelhoff, Pierre Shrady, Götz Schubert, Laura Tonke, Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey, Daniel Krauss, Nikolai Will, Ronald Zehrfeld, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cast: Rüdiger Klink -
Heinz Mahler
Burghart Klaußner -
Fritz Bauer
Andrej Kaminsky -
Polizeibeamter
Jörg Schüttauf -
Paul Gebhardt
Carolin Stähler -
Frau Kreidler
Sebastian Blomberg -
Ulrich Kreidler
Michael Schenk -
Adolf Eichmann
Stefan Gebelhoff -
Willem Sassen
Pierre Shrady -
Eberhard Fritsch
Götz Schubert -
Georg August Zinn
Laura Tonke -
Fräulein Schütt
Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey -
Staatsanwalt Kügler
Daniel Krauss -
Staatsanwalt Vogel
Nikolai Will -
Staatsanwalt Warlo
Ronald Zehrfeld -
Karl Angermann
Taglines:
Based on the true story of the hunt for Adolf Eichmann.
Filming Locations: Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
In Spain was released with limited opening in 30 theaters (16 provinces); later was a widest opening in 52 theaters (30 provinces). The film was projected in dubbed version / subtitled version. See more »
Goofs:
Fritz Bauer is shown checking into the American colony hotel so as to meet the Mossad. In 1957, that hotel was under Jordanian rule, and totally inaccessible to Israelis. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 8/10
There has been a lot of talk about the German movie "Labyrinth of Lies"
recently as this one starring Alexander Fehling was chosen as Germany's
official submission to the next Academy Awards and I have seen that one
almost a year ago. It was a decent film dealing with a prosecutor who
attempts to bring former high rank Nazi official to their
responsibility and have them tried in course. Now this is a very
similar plot compared to "The People vs. Fritz Bauer" with one major
difference. Bauer is near the end of his career/life apparently, while
Fehling's character is a rising star. You could even say that with the
bathtub scene early in this film here, the protagonist could very well
have died before the film even began.
Yet there is another difference, namely that "The People vs. Fritz
Bauer" is the far far superior movie. I must say that these 105 minutes
were an amazing watch and it shows that Germany can not only produce
excellent films about legal issues, but also that it is still very much
possibly to come up with a convincing plot on the whole Nazi issue that
has been done so many times in movies. The main reason here is possibly
Lars Kraume's excellent script and direction. The Italian-born
filmmaker has made movies for 20 years now and experience pays off. I
must say I was not really familiar with the name, maybe because he
worked a lot on television in recent years, but he certainly won me
over.
Another reason for this film's success is Burghart Klaußner. Is there
anything that needs to be said about him? I don't think so. He has been
among the most consistent German actors for years and I am not scared
to say that he is generally among the best actors currently working.
You may have seen him in works like "Das weiße Band", "Requiem", "The
Edukators" or "Goodbye Lenin". His Fritz Bauer is certainly on par, if
not better, compared to these performances. I may be biased as I have
loved him as an actor for years, but he really is that great in my
opinion and it would be nice to see him get some awards recognition for
his turn here. Definitely a good bet at the German Film Awards next
year. Same can be said about Ronald Zehrfeld who has slowly, but
steadily entered into Germany's acting elite over the last couple
years. He plays a role stuck between co-lead and supporting and adds a
lot to the movie as well thanks to his good range and great chemistry
with Klaußner. He sure holds his own here. Finally lets not forget the
supporting actors, who also deliver and make the most out of what they
are given, especially Sebastian Blomberg being one of the main
antagonists in here.
I thought the film's script is absolutely outstanding. It manages to be
politically interesting and relevant without going too much into detail
and becoming boring this way. We not only find out about the characters
in terms of their professions, but also about their private lives (or
lack thereof). And last but not least, the movie even manages to be
pretty funny on several occasions, like the socks reference or the talk
about what a perfect marriage looks like. An excellent lead performance
that results in everything you could ask for in a mix of drama and
political thriller that still manages to put a smile on your lips on
several occasions. You really don't get all this very often these days.
Do not miss out and watch it if you can. Deserves all the accolades it
hopefully gets. Highly recommended.
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