We Are the Night (2010)

In Berlin, a cop closes in on an all-female vampire trio who just took in a new member, Lena.

Director:

Dennis Gansel

Writers:

Jan Berger (screenplay), Dennis Gansel (screenplay)

Stars:

Karoline Herfurth, Nina Hoss, Jennifer Ulrich

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Karoline Herfurth	...	Lena
Nina Hoss	...	Louise
Jennifer Ulrich	...	Charlotte
Anna Fischer	...	Nora
Max Riemelt	...	Tom
Arved Birnbaum	...	Lummer
Steffi Kühnert	...	Lenas Mutter
Jochen Nickel	...	Bewährungshelfer
Ivan Shvedoff	...	van Gogh
Nic Romm	...	Olsen
Manuel Depta	...	Russenschläger 1
Tomas Jester	...	Russenschläger 2
Waléra Kanischtscheff	...	Wasja
Christian Näthe	...	Wachmann 1
Tom Jahn	...	Wachmann 2

Storyline

The vampires Louise, Charlotte and Nora arrive in Berlin after attacking the passengers and crew of an airplane in a flight to Paris. The leader Louise has been looking for centuries for her missed love and Charlotte misses her daughter that she saw in 1923 for the last time. Meanwhile, the smalltime pickpocket Lena steals a Russian mobster and is chased by Detective Tom. When Lena goes to a nightclub, the lesbian Louise believes that Lena is the love of her life and transforms her into a vampire. Lena initially feels lost with the transformation, but sooner she joins the trio of vampires in their nightlife. When the pack of vampires attacks a group of criminals, the police department investigates the case and hunts the women without knowing the risks that they are taking. Meanwhile the lonely Tom and the Lena fall in love with each other; but the unrequited love of Louise for Lena jeopardizes the couple.

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Plot Keywords:

female vampire | vampire | implied female nudity | implied nudity | bitten in the neck | 

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Taglines:

Immortal. Insatiable.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nina Hoss was always the first and only choice as Louise when Dennis Gansel wrote the script in 1999. She wanted the part from the get go. Karoline Herfurth had also been attached since the 90s but was too young to play Lena, the part Gansel wanted to give her. Instead he promised her the part of Nora. Due to the delay in production, however, Herfurth was old enough to play Lena when the film was finally green-lit.

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Goofs

In the montage sequence in the beginning Louise's face is (inexpertly) photoshopped into Menzel's Flute Concert of Frederick the Great. Actually, the person sitting in this position in the painting is Frederick's sister Wilhelmine.

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Quotes

Lenas Mutter: Are you going out?
Lena: I wasn't home the last two nights. Didn't you notice?
Lenas Mutter: You are old enough.

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Crazy Credits

Opening and closing credits are white initially, but just before fading out out, they turn blood-red.

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Connections

References Nosferatu (1922)

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Soundtracks

Pretty When You Cry
Performed by VAST
Written by Jon Cosby
Courtesy of Elektra Records

User Reviews

Not German Twiligt

Before I begin I will have address the fact that this film has been compared to Twilight a lot in reviews. This is film has very little to do with Twilight. Just because a vampire film has teenagers and vampires in it does not make it a Twilight rip. There where romantic teen- vampire flicks before Twilight( The Lost Boys, Near Dark). It's not an invention of Twilight.

The plot revolves around three decadent and wealthy vampire girls. They move around in Berlin at night in search for blood and pleasure. Their leader Louise(Nina Hoss), is also looking for that special lady, the one you want to spend your entire life together with. This special lady turns about to be dysfunctional youth criminal Lena(Karoline Herfurth).

Louise turns Lena into a vampire and introduces her to the life as a vampire, a life Lena enjoys at first until she has to deal with the disturbing side effects.

First I want to bring up the good things about this movie. The atmosphere is great and the cinematography in simple gorgeous. It's a real treat for the eye and we get lots of very slick and beautiful visuals. The most beautiful scene is Lena's transformation into a vampire when her inner beauty is set free.

Another thing this movie does well is the portrait of vampire life. It often happens in modern vampire films that you get to much of the good side of vice versa, but in best Interview with the Vampire style we get a balanced portrayal. Sure, immortality is great, you can party all night and never grow old and die but all the people you love will grow old and die while you stay the same. If you find a mortal that you really love you can't be with him because of risk you might kill him in the heat of the moment. This is portrayed very well through vampires Charlotte( the very talented Jenny Ulrich) and Nora( the lovely Anna Fischer) who are most well written and well acted characters in the film. Both of them have very heartbreaking scenes in the second half of the movie but I won't tell you more than that.

Other than that, the special effects are done well and the music is great. The soundtrack is filled with great songs that not only add to the atmosphere but works as a Greek chorus, commenting on the plot and the feelings of the characters.

Gansel's directing is outstanding. Following the "show, don't tell" principle he allows his actors to often do the most emotional scenes without dialog. Instead, the looks on the actors faces tells the emotional turmoil behind them. The effect is wonderful. One strange result however is that the word "vampire" is never mentioned. The movie is so good at making us understand that is does not have to.

The negative parts on the other hand is the romance between Lena and Officer Tom(Max Riemelt) I could buy that these people care for one another cause the film builds it up to that in a fine way, but that they fall in love? No, I don't buy that. It douse not feel like there is any hint at romance. As I said, it's oblivious they could and should care for each other but a romance seemed to be forced in by the producers. The relationship between Lena and Tom is to undeveloped for that.

Also, without spoiling anything, the ending was a bit rushed and could have lasted a little longer. It comes off as much weaker than the rest of the film. But it does not destroy the rest of the film.

There is not much violence. Most of it is off-screen deaths and dead, bloody bodies. There is a not graphic bite, but there is also one very graphic scene where Charlotte takes paper cut to a new level. That will sure to satisfy the gore hounds and is the best death in a vampire-movie since the lawn gnome-scene in Frostbitten.

Wir sind die Nacht does not really add anything to the vampire mythology, but has it's fair place within it. The vampires are beautiful, but deadly as it should be. Don't ask for originality( the only one you get is the fact that the girl vampires of the world have killed off all the vampire men), but expect a nice and great looking thrill ride. Wir sind die Nacht also has a great re-watch value which is always a huge plus.

The cinematography reflects the damaged characters. Just as they may appear glamorous they are really hurt inside.Torsten Breuer films the night scenes in vivid and spectacular color while the day scenes are shoot in a way that makes the light of the sun seem cold and the city of Berlin look dirty and not glamorous at all. When brought into light, we see what how tragic these characters are. There are no villains, just damaged people who needs love, but that is denied from them.

In 1979, Werner Herzog showed that Germany knew their vampires, and in 2010 Dennis Gansel shows they still does.

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

28 October 2010 (Germany)

Also Known As:

We Are the Night

Filming Locations:

Spreepark, Plänterwald, Treptow-Köpenick, Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

EUR6,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,405,336

Company Credits

Production Co:

Celluloid Dreams, Constantin Film, Rat Pack Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1