Max Schmeling (2010)

Max Schmeling's fights against Joe Louis are listed in the best 10 ten fights of all times.

Director:

Uwe Boll

Writer:

Timo Berndt

Stars:

Henry Maske, Susanne Wuest, Heino Ferch

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Maske	...	Max Schmeling
Susanne Wuest	...	Anny Ondra
Heino Ferch	...	Max Machon
Vladimir Weigl	...	Joe Jacobs
Yoan Pablo Hernández	...	Joe Louis
Detlef Bothe	...	Referee Arthur Donovan
Christian Kahrmann	...	Hitler's Adjutant Lehmann
Arthur Abraham	...	Richard Vogt
Stefan Gebelhoff	...	David Lewin
Rolf Peter Kahl	...	Joseph Goebbels
Alain Blazevic	...	Karel Lamac
Tom Sommerlatte	...	Junger Soldat
Peter Gilbert Cotton	...	Arthur Brisbane
Uwe Boll	...	Referee #2
Luka Satara	...	Werner Lewin

Storyline

Pomeranian (NE German) boxer Max Schmelling, a fair, courageous gentleman, becomes world champion and a national hero in the early 1930s, winning the hand of singer Anny Ondra. Just for loosing against younger, fitter colored American Joe Louis, the Nazi regime lifts Max's privileges and sends him to the front, hoping he'll be killed in action. Yet he survives the conquest of Crete and by freeing a British prisoner unwittingly saves his own skin when after the Soviet conquest of his home region, Max is nearly taken PoW. He starts all over, although rather too old, with remarkable results.

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Plot Keywords:

joe louis | boxer | world champion | 1930s | bare chested male | 

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Taglines:

In the shadow of war, one man must fight the battle of the century! [Scandinavian DVD.]

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de]

Country:

Germany Croatia

Language:

German English

Release Date:

7 October 2010 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Hitlerin mestari: 3. valtakunnan nyrkki

Filming Locations:

Arena Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Boll Kino Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, Herold Productions, Jadran Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

First time since The First Semester that Uwe Boll filmed a movie in Germany. When it rained on the first day of shooting, Boll jokingly said that he saw this as a sign to never shoot in Germany again.

User Reviews

Profile of a Great German Boxer but not a War Film

I found this to be a very enjoyable movie indeed and in sharp contrast to the stinging comments made about the movie generally. Yes it is essentially a Boxing movie with a Nazi War theme but there is no blood, minimal violence, no bad language, no offending sex scenes and everything in the film, given the nature of the storyline to do with Nazis, is done in very good taste.

True, it is not a great film and I do not think the director ever intended it. He may have intended a personal message with the film and expressed a love of boxing and also of a German Boxing icon.

Max Schmeling was a respected fighter both before and after the War. Whether he was a Nazi or not is a concern or issue for the film and there are no scenes I recall in the film which show Schmeling in direct contact with anyone acting as Adolf Hitler. His respect for Joe Louis is humbling.

He lived a long life and was successful in business. He has stood the test of life in ways that modern boxing icons such as Bruno, Bugner, Tyson and even Mohammed Ali have not.

Max Schmeling had a Jewish manager and married a Czech woman. There is nothing about the film which could possibly give offence to a German or anybody else unless they were looking to be offended.

Yes the storyline is simplistic enough, there is no dwelling on Max Schmelings involvement in the war or on the exact nature of how he suffered injury and near death in the war. Enough to vaguely refer to it and not wonder more.

Remember the film is for entertainment and is not a documentary. If the latter then some of the films other comments will be more relevant.