Jason KingNapola aka Before the Fall ($12.50-)
October 12th 2008 21:13
Napola aka Before the Fall ($12.50-)
This film is also known by 11 other names and I am not going to list them all!
Working-class Friedrich (Max Riemelt), 17, runs away in the middle of the night to attend a government-sponsored academy for the elite up-and-coming Nazis of the future. In his parting letter, he warns his father not to come after him or else he'll report him. Welcome to Germany 1942.
Blond and absolutely HOT (hehe), Friedrich is classified "Nordic. Class B One" and is admitted due to his boxing skills and potential and because he represents the epitomy of the Aryan race. He sees his training at the National Political Institute of Learning (Napola) as a golden opportunity. All cadets there are expected to be the future elite of the Third Reich. Spartan to the extreme, the school's motto could be "Survival of the Fittest" with its strict physical regime meant to pound the pity out of the teenagers. It's evil Dead Poets Society and a study on the Third Reich's absolute beliefs in Darwinism.
Friedrich shares his dorm room with Albrecht (Tom Schilling), a sensitive pacifist and son of the regional governor. Their friendship begins after Albrecht helps Friedrich make his bed (Freudian symbolism perhaps), and Friedrich reads the others essays. I was told to watch this as a "gay" film and I would absolutely love it. It has more to do with straight teenage friendship than anything "gay" although there are moments that are homoerotic if looked at that way.
This film is dark, it's about the Third Reich, not exactly a Drew Barrymore romance. Even the sky is usually overcast. The moments of Friedrich and Albrecht's friendship are fleeting, and the passive Friedrich largely reacts to the surrounding external events. But fortunately for a film emphasizing plot above all else, it comes alive with energy during scenes of abuse, a lethal weapons training course, and an incredibly tense wintry test of physical strength. You can pretty much guess the ending near the start but it is so worth watching!
The acting is brilliant and the production qualities are generally high, I was disappointed with the boxing scenes and felt they could have been shot much better, but they do their part, I wasn't watching Rocky (thankgod). This film is high on emotions and seeing kids mentally tortured will probably get a reaction out of you. The bonding of the two leads is heart wrenching in times like this when any weakness is seen as something to destroy. I felt for these boys and wish my friendship's were this strong during school. Slightly homoerotic maybe but compelling their plight is (that was nearly Yoda speak). It should be noted that the film's lead Aryan character is based on the director's grandfather so there is slight reality to this tale of woe (and OMG, that was nearly Shakespeare speak).
The film was released in 2004 to win many European film awards and in my opinion should have been nominated as a best foreign picture for the academy awards but I think this film would have pissed the American's off. It is something they would have loved to make. Of course, the best friend would somehow turn out to be a female cook in the school so there could be a better romance and all the German parts could be played by Tom Cruise speaking English - oh wait, isn't that the up and coming and constantly getting delayed film called Valkyrie? LOL. Well worth the watch if you can find it on DVD somewhere. If you would like to watch it I will post to you as a loaner if you promise to return it. Worth $12.50-. And just because he is so gorgeous here is some more pics of Max Riemelt from the film who is quite famous in Germany.
This film is also known by 11 other names and I am not going to list them all!
Working-class Friedrich (Max Riemelt), 17, runs away in the middle of the night to attend a government-sponsored academy for the elite up-and-coming Nazis of the future. In his parting letter, he warns his father not to come after him or else he'll report him. Welcome to Germany 1942.
Blond and absolutely HOT (hehe), Friedrich is classified "Nordic. Class B One" and is admitted due to his boxing skills and potential and because he represents the epitomy of the Aryan race. He sees his training at the National Political Institute of Learning (Napola) as a golden opportunity. All cadets there are expected to be the future elite of the Third Reich. Spartan to the extreme, the school's motto could be "Survival of the Fittest" with its strict physical regime meant to pound the pity out of the teenagers. It's evil Dead Poets Society and a study on the Third Reich's absolute beliefs in Darwinism.
Friedrich shares his dorm room with Albrecht (Tom Schilling), a sensitive pacifist and son of the regional governor. Their friendship begins after Albrecht helps Friedrich make his bed (Freudian symbolism perhaps), and Friedrich reads the others essays. I was told to watch this as a "gay" film and I would absolutely love it. It has more to do with straight teenage friendship than anything "gay" although there are moments that are homoerotic if looked at that way.
This film is dark, it's about the Third Reich, not exactly a Drew Barrymore romance. Even the sky is usually overcast. The moments of Friedrich and Albrecht's friendship are fleeting, and the passive Friedrich largely reacts to the surrounding external events. But fortunately for a film emphasizing plot above all else, it comes alive with energy during scenes of abuse, a lethal weapons training course, and an incredibly tense wintry test of physical strength. You can pretty much guess the ending near the start but it is so worth watching!
The acting is brilliant and the production qualities are generally high, I was disappointed with the boxing scenes and felt they could have been shot much better, but they do their part, I wasn't watching Rocky (thankgod). This film is high on emotions and seeing kids mentally tortured will probably get a reaction out of you. The bonding of the two leads is heart wrenching in times like this when any weakness is seen as something to destroy. I felt for these boys and wish my friendship's were this strong during school. Slightly homoerotic maybe but compelling their plight is (that was nearly Yoda speak). It should be noted that the film's lead Aryan character is based on the director's grandfather so there is slight reality to this tale of woe (and OMG, that was nearly Shakespeare speak).
The film was released in 2004 to win many European film awards and in my opinion should have been nominated as a best foreign picture for the academy awards but I think this film would have pissed the American's off. It is something they would have loved to make. Of course, the best friend would somehow turn out to be a female cook in the school so there could be a better romance and all the German parts could be played by Tom Cruise speaking English - oh wait, isn't that the up and coming and constantly getting delayed film called Valkyrie? LOL. Well worth the watch if you can find it on DVD somewhere. If you would like to watch it I will post to you as a loaner if you promise to return it. Worth $12.50-. And just because he is so gorgeous here is some more pics of Max Riemelt from the film who is quite famous in Germany.
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this looks like an interesting think piece!