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Before the Fall

Original title: Napola - Elite für den Führer
  • 20042004
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
16K
YOUR RATING
Before the Fall (2004)
Friedrich's boxing skills gets him in an elite Nazi high school in a castle in 1942. He enrolls against his dad's wish as it promises a brighter future. It's not what he expected.
Play trailer2:03
1 Video
46 Photos
DramaSportThriller
Friedrich's boxing skills gets him in an elite Nazi high school in a castle in 1942. He enrolls against his dad's wish as it promises a brighter future. It's not what he expected.Friedrich's boxing skills gets him in an elite Nazi high school in a castle in 1942. He enrolls against his dad's wish as it promises a brighter future. It's not what he expected.Friedrich's boxing skills gets him in an elite Nazi high school in a castle in 1942. He enrolls against his dad's wish as it promises a brighter future. It's not what he expected.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
16K
YOUR RATING
    • Dennis Gansel
    • Dennis Gansel(screenplay)
    • Maggie Peren(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Max Riemelt
    • Tom Schilling
    • Devid Striesow
    • Dennis Gansel
    • Dennis Gansel(screenplay)
    • Maggie Peren(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Max Riemelt
    • Tom Schilling
    • Devid Striesow
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 67User reviews
    • 61Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:03
    Watch Trailer

    Photos46

    Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt and Devid Striesow in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt and Tom Schilling in Before the Fall (2004)
    Tom Schilling in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)
    Max Riemelt in Before the Fall (2004)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Max Riemelt
    Max Riemelt
    • Friedrich Weimer
    Tom Schilling
    Tom Schilling
    • Albrecht Stein
    Devid Striesow
    Devid Striesow
    • Vogler
    Jonas Jägermeyr
    Jonas Jägermeyr
    • Christoph Schneider
    Leon A. Kersten
    • Tjaden
    • (as Leon Alexander Kersten)
    Thomas Drechsel
    Thomas Drechsel
    • Hefe
    Martin Goeres
    Martin Goeres
    • Siegfried Gladen
    Florian Stetter
    Florian Stetter
    • Justus von Jaucher
    Joachim Bißmeier
    Joachim Bißmeier
    • Anstaltsleiter
    Michael Schenk
    Michael Schenk
    • Sportlehrer
    Justus von Dohnányi
    Justus von Dohnányi
    • Gauleiter Heinrich Stein
    • (as Justus von Dohnàny and Justus von Dohnányi)
    Claudia Michelsen
    Claudia Michelsen
    • Frau Stein
    Julie Engelbrecht
    Julie Engelbrecht
    • Katharina
    • (as Julie Marie Engelbrecht)
    Johannes Zirner
    Johannes Zirner
    • Torben Send
    Alexander Held
    Alexander Held
    • Friedrichs Vater
    Sissy Höfferer
    Sissy Höfferer
    • Friedrichs Mutter
    Max Dombrovka
    • Hans Weimer
    • (as Max Dombrowka)
    Marian Schole
    • Peter Fischer
      • Dennis Gansel
      • Dennis Gansel(screenplay)
      • Maggie Peren(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Parts of the story are based on incident's in the life of Dennis Gansel's grandfather.
    • Goofs
      At least one of the Napola boxers and one of the training officers have pierced ears. Very unlikely, this being set in Nazi Germany.
    • Quotes

      Albrecht Stein: [reading from his essay] "As childish as it sounds, the winter time and the sight of freshly fallen snow always fill us with inexplicable joy. Perhaps because as children, we associated it with Christmas. I always imagine myself the hero who killed dragons, rescued virgins, and freed the world from evil. As we went out yesterday to find the prisoners, I felt like that little boy who wanted to save the world."

      Vogler: Albrecht, stop.

      Albrecht Stein: But as we returned, I understood that I am part of the evil that I wanted to save us from.

      Vogler: Albrecht, stop.

      Albrecht Stein: Shooting prisoners is wrong. They were not armed, as Governor Stein told us, to incite us. We didn't shoot men, only children.

      Vogler: Out!

    • Connections
      Featured in Videotagebuch von Dennis Gansel (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Uns're Fahne flattert uns voran
      (Vorwärts! Vorwärts! schmettern die hellen Fanfaren)

      Music by Hans-Otto Borgmann (as Hans Otto Borgmann)

      Lyrics by Baldur von Schirach

      Performed by chorus featuring Max Riemelt

    User reviews67

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    The Path from Glory to Self Martyrdom
    BEFORE THE FALL ('NAPOLA') is a brilliantly made film that addresses the blind hopes of youth in becoming a success as a man, a factor that allowed and allows dictators to entice young men into the realm of warriors under the guise of applauded bravery and the golden promise of achieving glory for a great cause. This story just happens to be about Hitler and his 40 Napola (training camps for the elite German youths in 1942) and the young boys and men who trained in these National Political societies. It could be found in many places and in many times...

    Friedrich Weimer (handsome and talented young Max Riemelt) comes from the lower class in Germany (his father is aiming him toward factory work) and is a fine young boxer. His talents are noted by some representatives from the Nazi party and he is asked to report for enrollment in a Napola, an important means of education and training that Friedrich sees as being his way to become something special, someone important. His father is anti-Nazi and refuses to let Friedrich go, but Friedrich is determined and runs into the night to join the Napola. Once there he is admitted, groomed as a boxer for the Napola, and introduced to the Hitler's youth movement. His fellow classmates vary from the very wealthy to other fine Arian lads. They are trained, observed, and brainwashed as to the glory of the Thousand Year Reich. Problems begin to arise when Friedrich gets to know his fellow classmates: Siegfried (Martin Goeres) is a bed wetter and is humiliated publicly for his problem; Albrecht (Tom Schilling) is a poet and writer whose father is one of the governors of the Napola and Albrecht is anti-war; other lads seem on the surface to be obedient yet most have hidden reservations about what they are doing.

    Being 1942 some changes are occurring in the Nazi dream and the Senior class is sent out on a mission to fight the enemy. And one night Friedrich's class is called out of bed and sent into the woods to find Russian soldiers who are 'threatening' their security. The boys open fire on the Russians only to find that they have killed a number of unarmed Russian boys. This profoundly disturbs them all, but Albrecht in particular. Friedrich continues to observe the manner in which he and the other boys are used and slowly his best friends find ways to martyr themselves and ultimately Friedrich does the same in his only way - by changing the way he approaches the Napola expectations of his boxing.

    Max Riemelt as Friedrich is outstanding: not only does he have the solid extraordinary good looks but he also can act, satisfying every nuance of this challenging role. The remainder of the cast - both young boys and the adults running the Napola - are superb. The cinematography is subtly beautiful, ranging from the tough interiors inside to the vistas of a Germany before it was destroyed by the not too distant fall. Director Dennis Gansel, who co-wrote the script with Maggie Peren, is a young man (the featurette with the DVD has an enlightening conversation between Gansel and Riemelt) knows exactly how to capture both the wide-eyed innocence of youth and the slowly crumbled ideals of young men. This is an outstanding film to see and experience. Its lessons are terrifying and intense. In German with English subtitles. Grady Harp
    helpful•17
    0
    • gradyharp
    • Jun 14, 2006

    Details

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    • Release date
      • January 13, 2005 (Germany)
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Germany)
      • Official site (Singapore)
      • German
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Prague, Czech Republic
    • Production companies
      • Olga Film
      • Constantin Film
      • SevenPictures Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 50 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital

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