The Princess and the Warrior (2000) Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (original title)

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Writer:

Tom Tykwer

Release Date:

12 October 2000 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

Irgendwo da draußen wartet die Liebe

Plot:

Young nurse Sissi lives a secluded life, seemingly entirely devoted to her patients at Birkenhof asylum...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Truck | Nurse | Ex Soldier | Patient

Awards:

5 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Franka Potente	...	Simone 'Sissi' Schmidt
Benno Fürmann	...	Bodo Riemer
Joachim Król	...	Walter Riemer
Lars Rudolph	...	Steini
Melchior Beslon	...	Otto
Ludger Pistor	...	Werner Dürr
Christa Fast	...	Sigrun Molke
Susanne Bredehöft	...	Zewil
Gottfried Breitfuss	...	Paul
Steffen Scheumann	...	Bruno (as Steffen Schult)
Rolf Dennemann	...	Dieter
Ali Nejat-Nouei	...	Ali
Sybille J. Schedwill	...	Schwester Maria Blum (as Sybille Jacqueline Schedwill)
Peter Ender	...	Dr. Thomas Kupfer
Friederike Frerichs	...	Schwester Corinna
Stefanie Mühlhan	...	Schwester Andrea
Irma Schmitt	...	Schwester Sandra
Sabina Riedel	...	Schwester Marita
Max Urlacher	...	Pfleger Holger
Thomas Gimbel	...	Pfleger Markus
Alexander Wipprecht	...	Pfleger Martin
Jan André Zinnschlag	...	Pfleger Stefan
Natja Brunckhorst	...	Meike
Jürgen Tarrach	...	Schmatt
Marita Breuer	...	Sissis Mutter
Jörg Reimers	...	Wachmann
Sebastian Schipper	...	Security Typ 1
Armin Krug	...	Security Typ 2
Karl-Heinz Dickmann	...	Bankangestellter
Jana Schröder	...	Azubi Bank (as Jana Schröer)
Georg-Martin Bode	...	Bank Filialleiter
Georg Zurhelle	...	Briefträger
Peter Götz Korn	...	Pförtner Birkenhof
Marcel Segmüller	...	Rotzbalg
Michael Hanemann	...	Hartwich
Heiner Voigt	...	Geistlicher
Eva Wolfertz	...	Meikes Mutter
Ralf Knebel	...	Tankstellenmann 1
Piet Paes	...	Tankstellenmann 2
Jürgen Blumenthal	...	LKW-Fahrer
Ercan Sagnak	...	Notaufnahmeteam
Winfried Walgenbach	...	Notaufnahmeteam
Manfred Goetting	...	1. Kunde Laden Schmatt (as Manfred Götting)
Tom Spiess	...	2. Kunde Laden Schmatt (as Tom Spies)
Axel Siefer	...	Arzt Notaufnahme
Eva Pliego	...	Schwester Notaufnahme
Frank Dukowski	...	Pfleger Notaufnahme
Frank Plasberg	...	Nachrichtensprecher 'Aktuelle Stunde'
Ina Kiesewetter	...	Nachrichtensprecherin 'Lokalzeit'
Dirk Brand	...	Tankwart
Thomas Wüpper	...	Polizist Birkenhof
Frauke Jacob	...	Pflegerin Birkenhof
Christian Beucker	...	Patient Birkenhof
Hannelore Duwe-Scherwat	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Elmar Goebel	...	Patient Birkenhof
Horst Kellermann	...	Patient Birkenhof
Marion Kempf	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Hilke Kluth	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Hans-Rolf Marks	...	Patient Birkenhof
Heinz Meyer	...	Patient Birkenhof
Anna Isabel Mohrhenn	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Heike Müller	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Renate Naujoks	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Bina Noss	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Eva Peuckert	...	Patientin Birkenhof
Andreas Schmitz	...	Patient Birkenhof
Dennis Stange	...	Patient Birkenhof

Directed by
Tom Tykwer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tom Tykwer

Produced by
Stefan Arndt	....	producer
Katja De Bock	....	producer
Gebhard Henke	....	producer
Maria Köpf	....	producer
Stefaan Schieder	....	line producer

Original Music by
Reinhold Heil		(as Heil)
Johnny Klimek		(as Klimek)
Tom Tykwer		(as Tykwer)

Cinematography by
Frank Griebe

Film Editing by
Mathilde Bonnefoy

Casting by
Gloria Plötzer
Sabine Schwedhelm

Production Design by
Uli Hanisch

Costume Design by
Monika Jacobs

Makeup Department
Birgit Herber	....	additional makeup artist
Margrit Neufink	....	makeup artist
Waldemar Pokromski	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Roger Elliot	....	production manager: Cornwall
Steffi Hiller	....	executive in charge of production
Arno Neubauer	....	unit manager
Ulli Neumann	....	production manager
Simone Winkler	....	executive in charge of production: Berlin

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pauline Bolle	....	apprentice assistant director
Tanja Däberitz	....	second assistant director
Sebastian Fahr-Brix	....	first assistant director (as Sebastian Fahr)

Art Department
Tanja Aller	....	scenic artist
Markus Baum	....	carpenter
Geri Beil	....	carpenter
Uwe Belke	....	carpenter
Werner Blum	....	sculptor
Uwe Brauer	....	scenic artist
Hayden Buckingham-Jones	....	prop buyer: Cornwall
Hayden Buckingham-Jones	....	prop master: Cornwall
Mieke Casal	....	key scenic artist
Knud Densow	....	art department trainee
Stefan Dörsch	....	carpenter
Frank Ehlers	....	set construction
Utta Hagen	....	scenic artist
Sebastian Hahn	....	carpenter
Ralph Henning	....	carpenter
Stefan Isfort	....	prop buyer
Andrea Kessler	....	stand-by propwoman
Kai Koch	....	assistant production designer
Oliver Koch	....	model maker
Oliver Kostecka	....	scenic artist
Kerstin Krötz	....	apprentice stand-by propwoman
Martin Küster	....	carpenter
Uli Langenberg	....	set construction
Joachim Monninger	....	set construction
Daniel Peeck	....	construction foreman
Stefan Prothmann	....	art department trainee
Doriano Quintavalle	....	carpenter
Thorsten Sabel	....	set dresser
Andreas Schmalisch	....	carpenter
Dieter Schmidt	....	carpenter
Georg Schneider	....	carpenter
Dahlia Sherington	....	assistant props: Cornwall
Axel Speichert	....	carpenter
Ulrike Stecker	....	assistant prop buyer
Christoph Steeger	....	construction foreman
Frank Weber	....	carpenter
Stefan Werns	....	carpenter
Dagmar Wessel	....	set dresser
Frank Wittek	....	carpenter
Katja Schlömer	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Tom Trambow	....	backdrops (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lars Ginzel	....	assistant sound editor
Dirk Jacob	....	sound designer
Matthias Lempert	....	sound mixer
Frank Maraite	....	dubbing mixer
Annette Muff	....	sound editor: rough cut
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist (as Joern Poetzl)
Philipp Sellier	....	foley recordist
Marita Strotkötter	....	post-production sound coordinator
Kai Tebbel	....	sound editor
Arno Wilms	....	sound
Elmar Wilms	....	sound
Guido Zettier	....	sound editor
Xaver Naudascher	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Nastuh Abootalebi	....	Domino artist: das werk
Jan Bernotat	....	motion control operator
Elena Blum	....	retouching: das werk
Melanie Göggelmann	....	retouching: das werk
David Hofmann	....	technical director/3D: das werk
Martin Krefft	....	scanning and recording: das werk
George Maihöfer	....	Domino artist: das werk
Jörn Meier	....	Inferno artist: das werk
Jörn Meyer	....	digital compositor
Nikolaous Papoutsis	....	Inferno artist: das werk (as Niko Papoutsis)
Moritz Peters	....	scanning and recording: das werk
Julian Reischl	....	retouching: das werk
Matthias Scharfenberg	....	retouching: das werk
Andreas Schellenberg	....	production coordinator: das werk
Gerhard Sprung	....	retouching: das werk
Oliver Stück	....	Inferno artist: das werk (as Olli Stück)
Thomas Tannenberger	....	digital effects producer: das werk
Dominik Trimborn	....	digital effects supervisor: das werk

Stunts
Baba	....	stunts
Sandra Barger	....	stunts
Jürgen Blumenthal	....	stunts
Michael Bornhütter	....	stunts
Micha Breidenstein	....	stunts
Volkhard Buff	....	stunt coordinator
Frank Christoffer	....	stunts
Georg Ebinal	....	stunts
Gerd Giesen	....	stunts
Ralf Knebel	....	stunts
Stefan Langel	....	stunts
Günther Lords	....	stunts
Alister Mazzotti	....	stunts
Piet Paes	....	stunts
Matthias Rehring	....	stunts
Ernst Reimann	....	stunts
Katja Richter	....	stunts
Daniela Stein	....	stunts (as Dani Stein)
Randy Wittur	....	stunts (as Randolph Wittur)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Armstrong	....	electrician: Cornwall
Eddie Armstrong	....	gaffer: Cornwall
Graham Berry	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Martin Bethge	....	additional camera operator
Frantek Brandt	....	additional camera operator
Oliver Bromme	....	best boy
Ergun Cankaya	....	additional lighting technician
Fred Dombrowka	....	gaffer
Peter Dombrowka	....	lighting technician
Mitch Enzmann	....	additional camera operator
Holger Fey	....	grip intern
Matthias Gruber	....	additional lighting technician
Jan Hartmann	....	camera operator: second camera
Jan Hartmann	....	first assistant camera
Christian Hupfer	....	additional lighting technician
Michael Müller	....	dolly grip
Carsten Pauer	....	lighting technician
Nils Rausch	....	additional lighting technician
Pascal Rubertus	....	additional lighting technician
Stefan Schauerte	....	lighting technician
Ingo Scheel	....	additional lighting technician
Timo Schwarz	....	second key grip
Andre Schweider	....	additional camera operator
Eike Hagen Schweikhardt	....	additional camera operator (as Eike Schweikhardt)
Anja Simon	....	key grip
Joachim Sonntag	....	additional lighting technician
Bernd Spauke	....	still photographer
Elmar Suska	....	assistant grip
Hans Vieth	....	additional lighting technician
Christian von Spee	....	additional camera team (as Christian Spee)
Oliver Ward	....	camera technician: Wescam camera
Thorsten Weiden	....	additional lighting technician
Jörg Widmer	....	Steadicam operator
Gill Zeadkiyahoo	....	additional lighting technician
Dwayne McClintock	....	aerial director of photography (uncredited)
Martin Neuse	....	electrician (uncredited)
Tom Trambow	....	property photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Burkhard Eick	....	casting: extras and bit parts
Detlef Issel	....	casting: extras and bit parts
Delia Schwedt	....	casting: extras and bit parts
Carmen Stange	....	casting: extras and bit parts
Delia Eick	....	casting: extras and bit parts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ingrid Buhrmann	....	assistant costume designer
Martina Jeddicke	....	first wardrober
Ulli Wachsmuth	....	second wardrober

Editorial Department
Ingrid Lingenberg	....	color timer
Renate Siegl	....	negative cutter
Sandra Stier	....	negative cutter
Frank J. Müller	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Katrin Erichsen	....	music supervisor
Shiro Gutzie	....	soundtrack executive consultant (uncredited)
Bronwen Jones	....	conductor (uncredited)
Bronwen Jones	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Tom Lang	....	additional music programmer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Ailes	....	unit driver: Cornwall
Jochen Behle	....	production driver
Tony Buchholz	....	unit driver: Cornwall
Tim Großkurth	....	production driver
Sebastian Kuhn	....	production driver
Ebi Noack	....	driver: construction team
Achim Siemens	....	transportation special crafts: Cornwall

Other crew
Joanna Anastassiou-Brix	....	caterer
Jürgen Andermann	....	street crew
Mirko Andreas	....	caterer
Christine Badura	....	projectionist
Michael Bornhütter	....	consultant: taekwon do
Imke Eichhorn	....	set runner
Ralph Eue	....	electronic press kit
Franz Gossler	....	insurance (as Franz Gossler Jr.)
Peter Hollweg	....	consultant: police/sek
Manus Home	....	location manager: Cornwall
Stephan Kahl	....	location manager runner
Jörg Kobel	....	assistant location manager
Matthias Krafft	....	location manager runner
Edgar Kroll	....	second location manager
Frank Langenbach	....	psychiatric consultant
Tobias Lautenbach	....	caterer
Gisela Liesenfeld	....	production coordinator: Berlin
Franziska Linke	....	production assistant: Berlin
Klaus Maas	....	consultant: police/sek
Ruth Mainka	....	production assistant: Berlin
Frank Meter	....	location scout
Markus Münz	....	projectionist
Arno Neubauer	....	first location manager
Susanne Petersen	....	continuity
Patrick Poch	....	continuity intern
Anne-Françoise Pyszora	....	translator
Sepp Reidinger	....	laboratory relation
Katja Sambeth	....	care taker: Melchor Beslon
Dorothee Specht	....	production coordinator
Jan Steffen	....	set runner
Andro Steinborn	....	legal consultant
Tilmann Vierzig	....	assistant executive in charge of production
Wolfgang W. Werner	....	press relations
Mark Witter	....	set runner
Sandra Wollgast	....	production secretary
Steffi Hiller	....	key accountant (uncredited)
Ulf Israel	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Anton Klima	....	aerial coordinator/pilot (uncredited)

Thanks
An Dorthe Braker	....	special thanks: casting

Production Companies

• X-Filme Creative Pool
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Distributors

• X Verleih AG (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Upstream Pictures (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2001) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• United King Films (2001) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Pathé Distribution (2001) (UK) (theatrical)
• Mars Distribution (2001) (France) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (2000) (Greece) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Canal (2002) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2002) (Argentina) (all media)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Das Werk (digital special effects)
• Flash Art GmbH (special effects)
• MagicMove GmbH

Other Companies

• ARRI Digital  titles
• ARRI  sound re-recording
• Aerial Camera Systems (ACS)  wescam provided by
• BHF Bank München  banking services
• BKM  funding
• Black Fat Cat  catering
• Buff Connection  stunts
• Castle Air  aerial cinematography: Cornwall
• Cine Licht Camera Rental GmbH  camera equipment provided by
• Cine Licht Camera Rental GmbH  grip and lighting equipment
• Concept AV Berlin  avid editing facilities
• Coolinaria  catering: extras
• DSL  security service
• Emergency Room Essen  tattoo design
• Fake Film Construction  set construction
• FilmFernsehFonds Bayern  funding
• Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg (FBB)  funding
• Filmcast  casting
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen  funding
• First Business Travel  travel agency
• Gardemann  working stages
• Hollywupp  casting: extras and bit parts
• Kunz & Mirus GmbH  make-up van provided by
• Lankes  vans provided by
• MAT  special camera systems
• Medias Reiseservice  rental cars
• Peewee  tattoo design
• Rainbow Wuppertal  aerial cinematography: Wuppertal
• Ruhr Sound Studios  sound post-production
• Splendid Synchron  dialogue recording
• Superb Records  soundtrack
• Theaterkunst GmbH  costumes provided by
• West Countray Locations  services in cornwall provided by
• X Music  music supervision

Also Known As:

"Der Krieger und die Kaiserin" - Germany (original title)
"The Princess & the Warrior" - UK, USA (promotional title)
"The Warrior and the Empress" - International (English title) (literal title)

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing images, language and some sexual content

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Canada:14A (video rating) | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:MA | Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

X-Filme Creative Pool

Trivia:

The literal translation of the German title is "The Warrior and the Empress". The name of the main female character, "Sissi", refers to the nickname of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary (1837-1898). There are several movies and television shows about the Empress Elisabeth, some with "Sissi' in the title.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bodo leaps from the bathtub to chase Steini down the hall, Bodo clearly has not taken time to dry off. He should have left at least some trace of wet footprints down the hallway as he runs after Steini, but there is not a trace of wet footprints or any other water left on the floor as he runs. (It's possible that for safety reasons they ensured the actor's feet were dry before having him run on the tiled hallway, so as to avoid a slip-and-fall scenario.)

Quotes:

Bodo Riemer:[laying on bead, Sissi has just sniffed him] What are you doing?
Simone 'Sissi' Schmidt:You smell good.
Bodo Riemer:What planet do you come from anyway?
Simone 'Sissi' Schmidt:This one. I was born here.
Bodo Riemer:In the nuthouse? What about your parent's?
Simone 'Sissi' Schmidt:My mother died, a hairdryer fell in the tub. My father is out there.
Bodo Riemer:What do you mean?
[she motions to the mental patients outside]
Bodo Riemer:One of the loonies?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

Soundtrack:

Autumnal

I´m missing the words...

There´s Bodo. There´s Sissy. They don´t know each other. A accident happens. Bodo rescues Sissy´s life. Then he disappears. She tries to find him. Will they have a chance?

Sometimes it´s hard to find words to describe a movie. It´s an unusual love story, a melodramatic thriller, that is sometimes disturbing, too - especially the scenes in the psychiatry, where Sissy works as a nurse - and with hypnotizing music (which sometimes reminds you of "Lola rennt" and "Winterschläfer"). Director Tom Tykwer shows again that he can tell stories with heart and soul. There are characters you really care for. Especially Benno Fürmanns performance touched me deeply. I could really feel the pain he´s going trough. And of course Franka Potente. I was on her side when she was desperately fighting for Bodo´s love.

Probably the best german film this year, I can highly recommend it. Watch and FEEL it!!!