Schramm (1993)

As serial killer Lothar Schramm lies dying in his own blood, horrific memories of his miserable life of paranoia, self-harm and rejection flash before his eyes. A tragic look into the mind of a Borderline Personality Disorder psychopath.

Director:

Jörg Buttgereit

Writers:

Jörg Buttgereit, Franz Rodenkirchen

Stars:

Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Monika M., Micha Brendel

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Florian Koerner von Gustorf	...	Lothar Schramm
Monika M.	...	Marianne
Micha Brendel	...	Der Gläubige
Carolina Harnisch	...	Die Gläubige
Xaver Schwarzenberger	...	Älterer Herr 1
Gerd Horvath	...	Älterer Herr 2
Michael Brynntrup	...	Jesus
Franz Rodenkirchen	...	Zahnarzt
Anne Presting	...	Zahnärztin
Eddi Zacharias	...	Liebhaber
Michael Romahn	...	Selbstmörder
Volker Hauptvogel	...	Kellner

Storyline

Lothar Schramm is a simple man with complex problems, yet he seems like such a nice guy. He works as a taxi driver and lives by himself where he is happy to answer his door to strangers and kill them outright. As with many shy loner types he has a problem dealing with woman so he drugs them and photographs their nude bodies for sexual stimulation. He then murders his helpless victims and so goes the life of a deranged serial killer.

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Plot Keywords:

blood | serial killer | psychopath | serial murderer | maniac | 

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Taglines:

...today I am dirty, but tomorrow I'll be just dirt.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Germany

Language:

German French

Release Date:

1993 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Schramm: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jelinski & Buttgereit

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As all serious killers generally suffer from a personality disorder, namely Antisocial Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, it is the ones who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder and Schizotypal Personality Disorder that are generally more self-destructive, gruesome or partake in bizarre rituals such as self harm. Because of this, the movie is based on true crime criminology profiles of real life serial killers - mainly those of which who suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, who was apprehended merely a couple of years before the film was made.

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Connections

Referenced in Teeth (2007)

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Soundtracks

Schramm Ist Tot (Intro)
Written by 'Max Müller' & 'Gundula Schmitz'

User Reviews

Grim, dirty genius

This was my first taste of Jorg Buttgereit, and I was very impressed, although it made me feel kinda bad afterwards. Florian Koerner von Gustorf puts in an awesome performance as the murderous, tormented Schramm, and his exploits are depicted in an unflinchingly gruesome and disturbing fashion. There are moments of horrifying gore and twisted sexuality that make most other serial killer pictures I've seen look like Disney, and an arty, non linear way of storytelling that takes the viewer right inside Schramms head. Its only sixty five minutes long, but its sixty five minutes with one of the most disturbing individuals imaginable. Having said this, there is a sweeter side to him, evidenced by his childhood memories and interactions with a prostitute from his apartment building. Much as I wanted to hate him, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Schramm, who can see better things but is trapped by inadequacy and fear into his doomed cycle of heinous acts. The score is dark and foreboding, maintaining a constant bleak atmosphere throughout the film, and since the movie always follows Schramm, its pretty compelling. My only criticism is that however artistically important it is, and its certainly a more intelligent portrait of a serial killer than Henry was, it isn't that enjoyable to watch. I felt very negative by the end of it, and its just a personal thing but I like to get a bit more fun out of movies. Still, pretty much essential viewing for serious horror and gore fans, and even art house fans who have the stomach for it. Just expect to be disturbed, very disturbed.