The Ninth Day (2004)
"Der neunte Tag" (original title)

A drama loosely based on Jean Bernard's Nazi-era prison diary.

Director:

Volker Schlöndorff

Writers:

Jean Bernard (memoir "Pfarrerblock 25487"), Eberhard Görner (screenplay),

Stars:

Ulrich Matthes, August Diehl, Hilmar Thate

5 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ulrich Matthes	...	Abbé Henri Kremer
August Diehl	...	Untersturmführer Gebhardt
Hilmar Thate	...	Bischof Philippe
Bibiana Beglau	...	Marie Kremer
Germain Wagner	...	Roger Kremer
Jean-Paul Raths	...	Raymond Schmitt
Ivan Jirík	...	Armando Bausch
Karel Hromadka	...	Pater Laurant Koltz
Miroslav Sichmann	...	Pater Marcel Bour
Adolf Filip	...	Professor Klimek (Kraków)
Vladimir Fiser	...	Bischof Kozal
Peter Varga	...	Józef (Polish Inmate) (as Petr Varga)
Petr Janis	...	Pater Nansen
Zdenek Pechácek	...	Lagerführer
Václav Krátký	...	SS-Mann

Storyline

In World War II, after a period living hell on earth in the concentration camp of Dachau with other catholic priests, Father Abbé Henri Kremer gets a nine days leave to return to his home town for his mother's funeral. Along this period, the SS Gestapo lieutenant Gebhardt tries to persuade Henri, who was born in silver-spoon and member of an influent Luxembourgian family, to convince the local bishop to give-up resisting to the Germans and write a letter to the Vatican in the name of the Catholic Church of Luxemburg convincing the Pope to support Hitler and the Nazi regime. The ambivalent Henri questions himself and the bishop what he shall do.

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Plot Keywords:

catholic | bishop | catholic priest | catholic church | vatican | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de]

Country:

Germany Luxembourg Czech Republic

Language:

German French

Release Date:

11 November 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Le neuvième jour

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$5,675 (USA) (3 June 2005)

Gross:

$72,888 (USA) (18 November 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Provobis Film, Videopress S.A., Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Although the film takes place in January 1942, the bishop mentions the deportations of Dutch Jews, which began in July 1942.

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Soundtracks

"Frauen sind keine Engel"
Performed by Margot Hielscher

User Reviews

Magnificent film with some memorably unsettling scenes which involve the concentration of Duchau

During WW2 a priest named Henry Kremer(Ulrich Matthes) imprisoned in concentration camp of Dachau is freed along a period of 9 days. He's threatened by a SS Unterstumfuhrer(August Dhiel) to convince the Luxemburg bishop(Tathe) to write a declaration for supporting the Nazi regime . The priest is affected because of his decision whether or not to collaborate with the Nazis.

This is an intelligent and thought-provoking film , correctly based on real events. The director covers a wide variety of plot developments at a rare pace by means of continuous flashbacks in which remembers horrible events at concentration camp of Duchau. Excellent performances by main cast as Ulrich Matthes (Goebbles in ¨The downfall¨) and August Dhiel(Ingorious bastards). Good secondary cast as Bibiana Beglau (Legend of Rita by Schlondorff) as the affecting sister . The musical score is often despairing and screeching with surprising witty touches , it is composed by Russian musician Alfred Schnitke(1934-88). The motion picture is well directed by Volker Scholondorff. He's an expert on Nazi issues as proved in ¨Tim drum¨ , ¨The ogre¨ and this one. Schlondorff does a very unusual pictures with important insight into how the past affects the present and root causes of war. His first feature film, ¨Young Torless¨ was showed around the world and he was pretty heard by international viewers when directed ¨The lost honour of Katharine Blum¨, getting similar success his fellow-countrymen as Fassbinder, Herzog and Wenders. His reputation was greatly enhanced when his phenomenal movie ¨Tin drum¨ was awarded the Oscar as best foreign-language film. Later on,Schlondorff consolidated with ¨Circle of deceits¨. Since then his films have been less satisfactory as ¨Murder in the Bayou¨ , ¨Handmaid's tale¨and ¨Palmetto¨.

Rating : Very good , Schlondorff's one the last impressive film to date. The film is admirable coherent , though in complicated narrative and never sags under its approx. hundred minutes . The movie will appeal to Nazi theme buffs