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Directed by Dennis Gansel
As Hitler launches the first major military aggressions of
World War II, the strongest and smartest German young men
enter exclusive
schools known as "Napolas" to train as future leaders
of the Third Reich. In 1942, a recruiter from one such Napola
sets his sights on Friedrich, a talented adolescent
boxer, who sees the training and prestige offered by the Napola
as his ticket out of an impoverished family unit run by his anti-Nazi
father.
In the Napola, Friedrich learns to fight without pity, becoming
a formidable killing machine. Propagandistic classes reinforce
a hardened worldview of his Aryan superiority.
Meanwhile, Friedrich forms a bond with fellow cadet Albrecht
Stein, an aspiring writer and son of the local Nazi governor.
Governor
Stein dotes on Friedrich, barely masking his contempt for his
own son’s sensitivity. But Friedrich admires and empathizes with
his friend, even though Albrecht criticizes Friedrich’s
brutality in the ring.
As the war escalates, the school's military training also intensifies.
Unscrupulous trainers humiliate the more vulnerable cadets in
front of their peers and send the others out on dubious war game
exercises.
In one such nightmarish event, they instruct Friedrich and Albrecht
to shoot escaping POW’s who turn out to be unarmed Russian
civilians. Tormented with guilt, Albrecht rebels, and Friedrich
must choose between his sworn allegiance to the Fuehrer and his
best friend’s moral imperative.
Germany / 110 mins. / German with English,
Spanish and French subtitles
“Intensely beautiful! Emotionally honest!”
Jeannette Catsoulis, NEW YORK TIMES
“As it explores such broad notions as the
unraveling of compassion and the corruptive nature of nationalism, it is at
the same time a love story
about
two young people who just happen to be positioned at a major crossroads in
global affairs, and it is successful on both levels.”
Marrit Ingman, THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE
“Unusually compelling!”
Janice Page, THE BOSTON GLOBE
"A work of exemplary craftsmanship, crisp and
forthright yet modulated by
subtle nuances, "Before the Fall" ranks high among the year's films!”
Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Absorbing! Impeccable!"
Jay Carr, AM NEW YORK
“A gorgeous and enthralling film!”
Japhy Grant, IN LA MAGAZINE
“Raw and frenetic!”
Eddie Goldberger, NY SUN
"One of the best films of the year!"
Brandon Judell, NEW YORK THEATER WIRE
"A very human drama within one of the most
inhuman regimes in recorded history.”
Richard Knight, Jr., WINDY CITY TIMES
"Schilling steals every scene he's in."
Neal Schindler, SEATTLE WEEKLY
"Inspiring
and spirited."
Tom Keogh, THE SEATTLE TIMES
"One
of the best films of the year!"
Brandon Judell, NEW YORK THEATER WIRE
“An evocative coming-of-age
story told against the backdrop of an
elite
yet barbaric Nazi academy.”
Tatiana Siegel, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Intense and heartbreaking!”
Brandon Voss, HX MAGAZINE
“A sharp and moving
drama about the kind of love that goes beyond mere sexual attraction,
played out against a tumultuous historical setting.”
Leo Buck, ORANGE COUNTY BLADE
“ The
acting is believable; the photography,
atmospheric; and the moral, unmistakable.”
V.A. Musetto, NEW YORK POST
“A tautly paced boys’-
school drama. Potent and well-executed!”
Andrew O’Hehir, SALON.COM
"The
hero (played with the right amount
of adolescent insouciance by Max Riemelt)
is a working-class boy admitted
to one
of the academies
for his formidable boxing
skills, and through him director Dennis Gansel captures the ordinariness
of Hitler's supporters."
Joshua Katzman, CHICAGO READER
“A splendid example of classic screen
storytelling!”
Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES
“Director Dennis Gansel’s film retains an undeniable power, centered
mainly in Friedrich’s deeply affecting friendship with Albrecht,
the uncharacteristically sensitive son of the local Nazi chief. A well
made, well
acted film.”
Wade Major, LA CITY BEAT
“ A
handsomely mounted production that benefits greatly
from location
shooting and sharp attention to historical detail.”
Ken Fox, TV GUIDE
“Especially
in the latently homoerotic relationship between pugilistic he-man Friedrich
and feminine,
poetry-writing academic Albrecht, Before the Fall
unerringly captures the national socialist movement's merciless groupthink
and the Nazis leaders' abhorrent intolerance and
brutality.”
Nick Schager, SLANT MAGAZINE
"Powerful
storytelling, homoerotic eye candy, and excellent performances
from German teen idols Riemelt
and Schilling!”
Lawrence Ferber, GENRE MAGAZINE
“Powerful and important to
watch!”
Avi Offer, THE NYC MOVIE GURU
"Dramatically effective
in opening yet another window on the Nazi nightmare.
Taut and effective!"
William Wolf, WOLF ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE
“This slick, sympathetic
portrait of lost innocence among Nazi youth reveals the
Reich's manipulation
and mistreatment of its own.”
Anthony Kaufman, TIME OUT CHICAGO
"Spectacular
acting, directing, cinematography!"
Rick Brutti, NEW ENGLAND RINGSIDE
"Absorbing
and well-made!"
PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
“This
well-made World War II film from Germany is both a coming-of-age
story and a critique
of National Socialist ideology. (Director Dennis)
Gansel handles the political and personal themes with
a subtlety
that's become
very rare in commercially intended movies.“
Richard James Havis, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Napola
is a testament to uncompromising
filmmaking from innocent
beginning to understated end. Max Riemelt is
excellent as Friedrich Weimer.”
Boyd van Hoeij,
EUROPEANFILMS.NET
"Unobtrusive,
tasteful direction and music,
along with retro-dark photography and a
quietly good cast, keep this film above may others
of its ilk."
Donald J. Levit, REELTALK MOVIE
REVIEWS
“Poignant!”
Jennifer Prestigiacomo, THE L MAGAZINE
“As intimate and
truthful to its characters as it is powerfully topical
and politically brave!”
Marrit Ingman, THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE
“An
extraordinary drama! Well-written, acted, and directed!
Young star Riemelt
looks primed for a high-profile career.”
Doris Toumarkine, FILM JOURNAL
“Before the Fall" commands
attention from its very first frame and never lets
up right through the fade-out.”
Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES
“Provocative
subject matter...solid blows
are landed on themes of blind patriotism and calculating human
flaws.
Tech credits are sumptuous, with Torsten Breuer's
lush widescreen
lensing and Normand Corbeil's
pulsing orchestrations.”
Eddie Cockrel, VARIETY
”Before
The Fall packs a wallop!”
Kent Turner, FILM-FORWARD.COM
"The
characters are fully realized,
creating a feeling of truth
to every scene. The visuals
are amazing and the acting
is top notch. This movie is
a must see!"
Jason
Whitaker, GENERATION Q
"Marvelous,
chilling and nuanced!”
Hal Drucker, 50 PLUS SENIOR NEWS
 Documentary
featurette: The Making of BEFORE THE FALL
Documentary
featurette: BEFORE THE FALL in New York
Deleted
scenes
Storyboards
Scene
selections
Widescreen
Coming
attractions
Trailer
Photo
gallery
Dolby
5.1/2.0 audio
Optional
subtitles
BEST
FILM -
Golden Griffin award
2005 Y Gen Section at the Giffoni
Film Festival
BEST
FILM -
ARCA award
2005
Giffoni Film Festival
WINNER - AUDIENCE AWARD
Hamptons International Film
Festival
WINNER - BEST ACTOR
Karlovy
Vary International Film Festival
WINNER
- BEST DIRECTOR
Bavaria
Film
Festival
WINNER
- BEST
FILM
Viareggio
Europacinema Film Festival
Max
Riemelt - Rising Star
Berlin Film Festival
2004
Rising Star Award - Hamptons International
Film Festival 2004
2007
Contra Costa International
Jewish Film Festival
2005
Cleveland International
Film Festival
2005
Philadelphia International
Gay and Lesbian Film
Festival
2005
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
2005
Milwaukee International Film Festival
2005
Image+nation, Montréal's International
LGBT Film Festival
2004
Montreal World Film Festival
2004
Mar del Plata Film Festival
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