The Red Baron is a German biopic by Nikolai Mullerschon from 2008, about the legendary WW1 fighter pilot Manfred Von Richthofen, it was filmed in the Czech Republic, France and Germany, entirely in English to improve its international commercial viability.
Caught the end of this movie one night on TV and wanted to see the whole lot, this movie seemingly has two versions, the English and German versions which are slightly different, the movie bombed in Germany for being too positive and it suffers from a terrible script but good performances from the actors who were acting using a different language than their own, there are a lot of little inaccuracies about the movie (ages, planes, people but nothing I noticed).
The main issue with the movie that people had was his proto pacifist and anti-war leanings it portrays, an affair with a nurse which seems to be more intense than it really was and if it did happen at all ( it's only used to highlight the futility of the war) but in real life there was no basis for this, in the movie he says only to kill the plane but he is known for saying in real life to aim for the man and with two seater planes to kill the observer first before the pilot because until you've silenced the gun firing not to worry about the pilot.
Now you're thinking is their anything good about this movie at all, yes, the effects are really good (the planes are really colourful and well depicted to me) and the air battles are good and exciting and the trench scenery is well done but it could have had a little more action but I always think that, if you get a chance it's worth a watch but nothing more I'm afraid.
No one knows who actually killed him and it remains a mystery to this day with several people claiming the kill, the term flying circus came from it's mobility (tents and trains) and the colourful aircraft, he is credited with 80 victories and some consider he had more.
More information about him here
hmmm, i might rent this...
ReplyDeleteIt seems sort of silly that it sounds like they worked so hard to make him something he was not characterwise. I'd love to see a high budget movie made of a safely fictional WWI ace--DC Comic's Hans von Hammer, the Enemy Ace.
ReplyDeleteVery keen on seeing this one. Thanks for the honest review as always.
ReplyDeletedunno, i'll wait on the George Lucas movie if i wanna see some airplane battles ( or rewatch Flyboys)
ReplyDeleteLena is in it. Done. But I really do hate whoosification of movies so someone sacrifices history to push their own political agenda.
ReplyDeleteI watched the film because I love Till Schweiger a lot and the rest of the cast isn't all that bad either. Nothing special, a film for Saturday evening.
ReplyDeleteBut I do recommend reading Kim Newman's book BLOOD RED BARON, which is truly amazing and hugely entertaining. It's part of his ANNO DRACULA saga.
Nice review. Missed the movie will watch it
ReplyDeleteLooks and sounds very interesting!!
ReplyDeletePopped in to say good morning. This afternoon is orientation and I'm real excited. Then I get to go buy some new work tops and I get to where pink, orange, yellow, green. How groovy is that? They said anything but white, black and brown.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm happy happy happy. Thanks for all your support. I know kitchens can be hell but I gotta give it a go.
As for the terrible script. So many of those out there. Sometimes I'll watch a movie and think the entire script was piss. Then at the end I learn four or five writers worked on the screenplay. And it shows.
That's all from me.
Sad that it could have been better. I've actually always loved this particular story.
ReplyDeleteGonna DL it and watch it when I'm bored... just seems like that type of movie.
ReplyDeleteAt least he flys an Albatross (on the poster ) and not the bloody triplane everyone thinks is historically glued to his backside.
ReplyDeleteCheers
paul
Nice movie bought him last week on the cheap, not disappointed but I thought it would involve more action scenes. Nevertheless great movie!
ReplyDeleteI may check this out sometime.
ReplyDeleteI like his story and Tri-planes and so I'll check it out just for that alone.
ReplyDeleteChristopher
I SAW THIS!! I thought it was pretty good and thought it was a nice change to see a movie about World War 1 for once.
ReplyDeletetil shchuweiwrewgerr is one of the most badass actors ever
ReplyDeleteI rented this movie last year for a $1, and for having something to do while I stuffed pizza in my face it was OK. Definitely better than "Flyboys," but its nice to see somebody trying to make some historical flicks.
ReplyDeleteThe acting and the production value was there, but the script just wasn't. I enjoyed the Baron's blunt dealings with the Kaiser which I guess was supposed to be an accurate portrayal.
I think the one thing that didn't sit right with me was the obvious age difference betweeen the actors playing the two love interests, the Baron and the nurse. It must of been weird for those actors as well.
Thanks Fran. Might just watch this one. Not such a bad way to fill in an hour or two.
ReplyDeleteShame that they seem to have altered history so much, but still might be worth a watch anyway -- thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteBro, how far removed am I from the world. I never knew this movie came out, like completely never heard of it.
ReplyDeletetoo positive? weird
ReplyDeletei saw this movie but i didn't like
ReplyDeleteAnti-war war films and characters with very anachronistic attitudes in them are dealbreakers for me. I'll steer clear, thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou gods that made me man, and sway in love.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment, the aerial dogfighting scenes were brilliant, but the dramatic aspects let me down.
ReplyDeleteUgh, the little inaccuracies are enough reason for me to avoid this film. I hate those.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't log on this post from the dashboard...weird. I don't fancy this movie and your review confirmed what I thought or had heard. I remember a great comic about him, fantastic drawings and really dark from George Pratt...well worth checking out.
ReplyDeleteThe movie sucks because of misguided political correctness, to the point they have to change the story to phony fiction.
ReplyDeleteI think the Australian army machine gunners on the ground got him; so the story of the English son and heir pilot who was pursuing him was its own form of contemporary political correctness, due to the snobbish class liking that better, but the CSI evidence backs the ground troops' claim. The fatal bullet went up his leg.
I might download it!!
ReplyDeleteits dolby digital at least. it would probably blast out the system nicely. im gonna check it out
ReplyDeleteI hate revisionist history. They should never change who a character is for any reason. We want to see all the "warts and foibles. Hopefully the aircraft will not have me shouting at the screen while foaming at the mouth like Flyboys did. That was one pretentious pile of poop anyway you sliced it. I agree with Paul, I am sick of seeing an all red triplane anywhere. I think that is why I have not done one ever. Although I will grit my teeth because I may be illustrating a book on M. von Richtofen. Hopefully the Albatros was not one of the all red ones too. He flew so many different aircraft as a pilot and flew as an observer before that. Frankly he was known as more of a hunter than a pilot. It was all about getting the killing shot on his opponent. Ok, enough before I start really ranting..
ReplyDeleteCheers
Hey I see Joseph Fiennes is in here. I'm beginning to think that he likes war movies.
ReplyDeleteuhmmm.... lurker, I just noticed you have 133 trillion page views, how'd you do it man? HOW!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads-up, gonna netflix this one.
ReplyDeleteI saw this one and I kept thinking.."Lord of the Rings" with airplanes. Pretty men and CGI.
ReplyDeletei dident like this one,it reminds me of the young indy jones show
ReplyDelete