Der rote Baron (2008)

Director:

Nikolai Müllerschön

Writer (WGA):

Nikolai Müllerschön (written by)

Release Date:

10 April 2008 (Austria)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

One warrior ruled the sky.

Plot:

Baron Manfred von Richthofen (Schweighöfer) is the most feared and celebrated pilot of the German air force in World War I...

Plot Keywords:

Propaganda | Pilot | Nurse | Love | Automatic Weapon

Cast

Tomás Koutník	...	Young Manfred von Richthofen
Tomás Ibl	...	Young Lothar von Richthofen
Albert Franc	...	Young Wolfram von Richthofen
Matthias Schweighöfer	...	Manfred von Richthofen
Maxim Mehmet	...	Friedrich Sternberg
Hanno Koffler	...	Lehmann
Til Schweiger	...	Werner Voss
Richard Krajco	...	Lanoe Hawker
Joseph Fiennes	...	Capt. Roy Brown
Steffen Schroeder	...	Bodenschatz
Lukás Príkazký	...	Kirmaier
Lena Headey	...	Käte Otersdorf
Ondrej Volejník	...	1st German Soldier
Jirí Wohanka	...	2nd German Soldier
Iveta Jirícková	...	Redhead Whore

Also Known As:

The Red Baron (International: English title)

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

Germany | UK

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-13 | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Krizeneckeho namesti, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Niama Film

Trivia:

The financing for the film came exclusively from well-to-do private individuals living in the state of Baden-Württemberg and was raised by the Stuttgart-based film financing and production house Niama Film, which was established by director Nikolai Müllerschön with partners Thomas Reisser, Roland Pellegrino and Dan Maag.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie, Lt. Kurt Wolff is shot down during a night mission. According to his wingman Lt. Carl-August von Schoenebeck, who was with Wolff on his last mission, Wolff was shot down in a dogfight which took place at day-time.

Movie Connections:

References Apocalypse Now (1979)

Worth it - gets better as from the second half

The movie seems a bit slow at first. One wonders if it's going to be a realistic crude harsh war movie, as we have grown accustomed to in the last years, or a romantic poetic depiction of this folk hero/legend.

As one gets into the film, one discovers it's both things. There are several sub themes. The jealousy and competitiveness between brothers, the strong contrasting point of views from how the German pilots lived and saw the war as compared to their infantry mud submerged counterparts, the beauty of the initial sportsmanship displayed by Richthoffen and many other airmen in their practice of war, the love story, and many more.

Perhaps the most appealing to some of us is the gradual turn of things towards the impending tragedy, how the characters seem to express it just in the way they look at each other and how this epic sized hero, well represented by the unknown actor Tomas Koutnik, embraces his fate with a powerlessness and dignity that reflects the whole of humanity's ultimate choices when faced with the certain end: play out the role you've been assigned in this life with dignity.

Congratulations to this director, his craftsmanship, the actors, the staff, and let me not forget specially that wonderful Lena Heady who is very sensual and sublime!