Heaven (2002/I)

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski (trilogy "Heaven, Hell and Purgatory") and
Krzysztof Piesiewicz (trilogy "Heaven, Hell and Purgatory") ...

Release Date:

21 February 2002 (Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

What Would You Risk For Love?

Plot:

A woman takes the law into her own hands after police ignore her pleas to arrest the man responsible for her husband's death, and finds herself not only under arrest for murder but falling in love with an officer.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Bomb | Police | Death | Justice

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Philippa
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Filippo
Remo Girone	...	Filippo's Father
Stefania Rocca	...	Regina
Alessandro Sperduti	...	Ariel
Mattia Sbragia	...	Major Pini
Stefano Santospago	...	Mr. Vendice
Alberto Di Stasio	...	The Prosecutor
Giovanni Vettorazzo	...	The Inspector
Gianfranco Barra	...	The Lieutenant
Vincent Riotta	...	Chief Guard
Mauro Marino	...	Doctor
Stefania Orsola Garello	...	Vendice's Secretary
Fausto Lombardi	...	Father High Rise
Giorgia Coppa	...	Older Daughter

Also Known As:

Heaven (France) (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Germany | Italy | USA | France | UK

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18SX (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bottrop, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

The first of a planned trilogy Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz wrote before Kieslowski's death: Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The train shown when Filippo and Philippa arrive in Tuscany is not compatible with the passenger car seen from the inside in earlier shots.

Quotes:

Helicopter Pilot: [helicopter flight simulation switches off after heading straight for the sky] You know in a helicopter, you can't go up forever.
Filippo: How high can you go?

Movie Connections:

References G.I. Jane (1997)

Soundtrack:

Spiegel im Spiegel

thin, short, refined

'Heaven' is a wonderfully subtle film, full of refined camera work and scarce in dialogue. It stands as a good representation for the 'X Filme' project that Tom Tykwer co-heads, which aims to create films both new and thought-provoking as well as successful in their theater runs.

At roughly an hour and a half, 'Heaven' is a cinematic triumph that nudges open the gates to the philosophy and psychology of the lone man or woman along with those of society on the whole. It takes place in Italy, but Tykwer himself stated in an interview that really it could have been shot in any number of places with the message remaining the same. 'Heaven' is a thinly-scripted, in-depth commentary on issues prevailing throughout the modern world. Drugs, sex, sexuality, identity and the fibres that make up humans as a race are what this film revolves around: it is not a film for tourists or spectators. The excellent performances of Giovanni Ribisi and Cate Blanchett (apart and together) should only be missed if you are mainly looking for external adventure and action. Though it shares its part in weapons, scheme and drama, 'Heaven' is not blockbuster material: it is art material.