The Ninth Day (2004)

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

6 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

During WWII, a head priest, Henri Kremer, is mysteriously freed from Dachau concentration camp. He learns that he can return home, to Luxembourg, for a period of nine days, during which he will have to face a persuasive Gestapo chief who will put his faith to the test.

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Plot Keywords:

crossing oneself | soldier | flower | water | crucifixion | 

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Taglines:

No one can save them.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the opening scene where the priests in the concentration camp celebrate Mass secretly, the celebrating priest gives the others Communion saying "Corpus Christi", with the communicant answering "Amen". But this is how Communion is done in the new Roman Rite (Novus Ordo), introduced in 1969/70. In the old Roman Rite (Tridentine Rite), that was used generally at the time the story takes place, the priest makes the sign of the Cross with the host over the paten and then says: "Corpus Domini Nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen." ("The Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ may lead your soul to eternal life.") Then he administers Communion. The communicant remains silent.

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Connections

Referenced in Yes Man (2008)

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Soundtracks

Cello Concerto No. 1
Music by Alfred Schnittke
Conducted by Leif Segerstam
Cello: Torleif Thedeen
Performed by Radiosymfoniorkestret

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany]

Country:

Germany Luxembourg Czech Republic

Language:

German French

Release Date:

11 November 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

The Ninth Day

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,786, 29 May 2005

Gross USA:

$72,888

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$135,311

Company Credits

Production Co:

Provobis Gesellschaft für Film und Fernsehen, 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