I suspect that the other reviews of this film are poor or tenuous because their writers felt compelled to write them as such due to the period the film was made in. This, naturally, is unjust and irrelevant, so this review will be honest and free of political intimidation. If you have any background knowledge of the setting whatsoever you already know what this is about: the German statesman that saw the big sponge of German states become an iron block, the mighty Kaiserreich. However, this is marked as containing spoilers because of the amount of detail it goes into, and just to be safe. Approaching the film, I had high expectations. It is a film about Germans, made by Germans, and free from the political spin of their rivals. Not to say there is not spin, but more on that below.
I thought the film was very well made. The casting-choices are good, for the actors fulfill their roles competently and are sufficiently remarkable to distinguish from one another, even for a viewer who is not a native speaker. Now, the entire film is pervaded with imagery, nationalistic, patriotic, and militaristic. Personally, I enjoy this sort of thing very much, especially since I recognise all of the aesthetics and melodies used. The parade of the Prussian military at 1 hour and 4 minutes in is one of the best displays I have ever seen in a movie, especially the march sequence with Preußens Gloria and piercing step. It is exceptional and inspiring, an example for all military aesthetic to follow.
However, not all of the movie resonated so well with me. The only part that truly came close to boring me was the ballet scene. I understand it was important, as it contains the political intrigue that inevitably accompanies such things, but it is hardly the centrepiece of the film.
Absolutely worth mentioning is one of the last scenes, where the Battle of Königgrätz is depicted. If anyone is familiar with the background of the Königgrätzer March, it was composed for this event, so hearing it play in one of the most climactic moments of the film was an incredibly pleasant surprise. The buildup to that scene was very well done too, especially the conversation that the Kaiser and Bismarck have about the Crown Prince leading the Second Army. He could be relied upon to arrive and relieve in the Battle, Bismarck argued, because crown and country depended upon it.
The whole film, overall, is a veritable masterpiece. If another film were made of the Kaiserreich today, it would be negative, anti-patriotic, and disrespectful. I repeat, this film of Germans, by Germans, and for Germans, treats its subject matter respectfully and lovingly. That is more important than a revisionist's idea of historical accuracy. After all, that last item is a straw-man: I saw no historical discrepancies at all, let alone ones that are sufficiently grave to interfere with the film.
I thought the film was very well made. The casting-choices are good, for the actors fulfill their roles competently and are sufficiently remarkable to distinguish from one another, even for a viewer who is not a native speaker. Now, the entire film is pervaded with imagery, nationalistic, patriotic, and militaristic. Personally, I enjoy this sort of thing very much, especially since I recognise all of the aesthetics and melodies used. The parade of the Prussian military at 1 hour and 4 minutes in is one of the best displays I have ever seen in a movie, especially the march sequence with Preußens Gloria and piercing step. It is exceptional and inspiring, an example for all military aesthetic to follow.
However, not all of the movie resonated so well with me. The only part that truly came close to boring me was the ballet scene. I understand it was important, as it contains the political intrigue that inevitably accompanies such things, but it is hardly the centrepiece of the film.
Absolutely worth mentioning is one of the last scenes, where the Battle of Königgrätz is depicted. If anyone is familiar with the background of the Königgrätzer March, it was composed for this event, so hearing it play in one of the most climactic moments of the film was an incredibly pleasant surprise. The buildup to that scene was very well done too, especially the conversation that the Kaiser and Bismarck have about the Crown Prince leading the Second Army. He could be relied upon to arrive and relieve in the Battle, Bismarck argued, because crown and country depended upon it.
The whole film, overall, is a veritable masterpiece. If another film were made of the Kaiserreich today, it would be negative, anti-patriotic, and disrespectful. I repeat, this film of Germans, by Germans, and for Germans, treats its subject matter respectfully and lovingly. That is more important than a revisionist's idea of historical accuracy. After all, that last item is a straw-man: I saw no historical discrepancies at all, let alone ones that are sufficiently grave to interfere with the film.