Before the Fall (2004)

In 1942, Friedrich Weimer's boxing skills get him an appointment to a National Political Academy (NaPolA) - high schools that produce Nazi elite. Over his father's objections, Friedrich ... See full summary »

Director:

Dennis Gansel

Writers:

Dennis Gansel, Maggie Peren

Stars:

Max Riemelt, Tom Schilling, Devid Striesow

8 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Max Riemelt	...	Friedrich Weimer
Tom Schilling	...	Albrecht Stein
Jonas Jägermeyr	...	Christoph Schneider
Leon A. Kersten	...	Tjaden (as Leon Alexander Kersten)
Thomas Drechsel	...	Hefe
Martin Goeres	...	Siegfried Gladen
Florian Stetter	...	Justus von Jaucher
Devid Striesow	...	Vogler
Joachim Bißmeier	...	Anstaltsleiter
Michael Schenk	...	Sportlehrer
Justus von Dohnányi	...	Gauleiter Heinrich Stein (as Justus von Dohnàny and Justus von Dohnányi)
Claudia Michelsen	...	Frau Stein
Julie Engelbrecht	...	Katharina (as Julie Marie Engelbrecht)
Johannes Zirner	...	Torben Send
Alexander Held	...	Friedrichs Vater

Storyline

In 1942, Friedrich Weimer's boxing skills get him an appointment to a National Political Academy (NaPolA) - high schools that produce Nazi elite. Over his father's objections, Friedrich enrolls, seeing this as his ticket out of factory life to university and a good salary. During his year in seventh column (fifth form), this innocence is altered as Friedrich encounters hazing, cruelty, death, and the Nazi code. His friendship with Albrecht, the ascetic son of the area's governor, is central to this education; a night in the forest hunting for escaped Russian POWs brings things to a head.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | male objectification | unpunished antagonist | nazi germany | nazi | 

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Taglines:

Men Make History. We Make The Men.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport | Thriller | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Official site [Singapore] (English)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

13 January 2005 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Before the Fall

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,036, 9 October 2005

Gross USA:

$144,254

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,764,219

Company Credits

Production Co:

Olga Film, Constantin Film, SevenPictures Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 110 min 110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dennis Gansel: [Actor] Max Riemelt.

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Goofs

During Friedrich's glider flight, his helmet is securely strapped at the start but is shown unstrapped a few seconds later. He kept both hands on the glider's yoke.

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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 ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Smagsdommerne: Episode #2.10 (2005)

User Reviews

A great film, meaningful, deeply moving emotionally

This film which depicts an elite Nazi teenage male youth training facility takes place in Germany during 1941 or 1942. Students are being trained to become future leaders after Germany wins the war. Much of the training is brutal. Students are taught to win regardless of any pain that their actions might cause their fellow man - whether friend or foe, fellow countryman or enemy. The film tells how the students accept or reject their training and the consequences of their decisions/indecisions.

I saw this film at the 2005 Palm Springs International Film Festival at a "Best of Fest" special showing. It certainly should be a candidate for an academy nomination as "Best Foreign Language Film" but I do not know if it has a distributor for North America. It reminded me somewhat of a 2003 Palm Springs festival entry - EVIL/ONDSKAN (Dir. Mikael Hafstrom/Sweden) - which also packed an emotional kick in the gut that left me stuck in my seat for at least five minutes after the film had ended. Napola is the better of the two films by far. Great acting, script, direction, music, etc. See it on a big cinema screen if at all possible since film makes great use of the colors that will not have a similar impact in a video format.