Invincible (2001)

A Jewish strongman performs in Berlin as the blond Aryan hero Siegfried.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog

Stars:

Jouko Ahola, Tim Roth, Anna Gourari

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Roth	...	Herschel Steinschneider / Erik Jan Hanussen
Jouko Ahola	...	Zishe Breitbart
Anna Gourari	...	Marta Farra
Max Raabe	...	Master of Ceremonies
Jacob Wein	...	Benjamin Breitbart
Gustav-Peter Wöhler	...	Alfred Landwehr (as Gustav Peter Woehler)
Udo Kier	...	Count Helldorf
Herbert Golder	...	Rabbi Edelmann
Gary Bart	...	Yitzak Breitbart
Renate Krößner	...	Mother Breitbart
Ben-Tzion Hershberg	...	Gershon
Rebecca Wein	...	Rebecca
Raphael Wein	...	Raphael
Daniel Wein	...	Daniel
Chana Wein	...	Chana

Storyline

The film is based on the true story of Zishe Breitbart, a Jewish blacksmith's son from Poland who becomes a sensation in Weimar, Berlin as a mythical strongman. His employer Hanussen dreams of establishing an all-powerful Ministry of the Occult in Hitler's government. Yet as Hitler's hold on power grows more sure, and Berlin erupts in a ferment of anti-Semitism, Zishe must decide how he will use his strength. Plagued by nightmares, he takes counsel from a local rabbi. He becomes convinced that he has been chosen by God to warn his people of the grave danger they face.

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Plot Keywords:

strongman | jewish | blacksmith | rabbi | poland | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and thematic elements

Details

Country:

UK Germany Ireland USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 2002 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Invencible

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,293, 22 September 2002

Gross USA:

$81,954

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$180,616

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, Tatfilm, Little Bird

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min 128 min 125 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The voice of the heckler in the audience heard right before Zishe dead lifts 900 pounds, belongs to Werner Herzog.

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Goofs

When the story is told about the Japanese man that bet on black and it is said the Japanese man had a 50/50 chance. Roulette tables have a 0 and sometimes a 0 and double 0 which gives the house an advantage. The house always has the odds in their favor, there is never a 50/50 chance.

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Quotes

Hanussen: No jew should be as strong as you are.

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to The People of Kuldiga and The People of Vilnius

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Connections

Referenced in The Debridement of Rome (2012)

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Soundtracks

Sweet and Lovely
(1931)
Music and Lyrics by Gus Arnheim / Neil Moret (as Charles Daniels) / Harry Tobias
Performed by Max Raabe and his Palast Orchestra
Published by EMI Robbins Catalog Inc / Anne Rachel Music / Redwood Music Ltd / Range Road Music / Harry Tobias Music
Courtesy of EMI Music Partnership Musikverlag GmbH/ Greenhorn Musikverlag GmbH/ Warner-Chappell Music GmbH Germany,
Munich/ Chappell & Co GmbH/ Range Road Music/ Harry Tobias Music

User Reviews

A film of astonishing power and imagery

Tim Roth gives an extraordinary performance as Hanussan, the charlatan occultist with a deep dark secret in 1932 Germany. Jouko Ahola (a World's Strongest Man competitor) has a charming, gentle innocence that is perfectly suited for the role of Zishe Breitbart. Ahola's Breitbart is a naive, small town strongman tortured by visions of a horrible future event

• a Holocaust which he can neither comprehend nor explain to his fellow Jews. Ahola's physicality, warmth and childlike kindness is reminiscent of Andre the Giant's performance in The Princess Bride. The film benefits from a wonderful and thoroughly engaging script by Werner Herzog. Roth's character, especially, has two beautifully crafted monologues towards the film's end which are absolutely staggering in their power and intensity. Well worth watching.