Antikörper (2005)

Director:

Christian Alvart

Writer:

Christian Alvart (writer)

Release Date:

7 July 2005 (Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Das Gute ist das Böse daran. [The Good is the Evil in It.]

Plot:

Long wanted serial killer Gabriel Engel gets arrested in a spectacular police strike. Small town cop...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Murder | Serial Killer | Rooftop | Prayer

Awards:

6 wins

Cast

Norman Reedus	...	Polizist Schmitz
Christian von Aster	...	Polizist Wagner
André Hennicke	...	Gabriel Engel
Waltraud Witte	...	Frau Hering
Konstantin Graudus	...	Wosniak
Heinz Hoenig	...	Seiler
Wotan Wilke Möhring	...	Michael Martens
Ulrike Krumbiegel	...	Rosa Martens
Hauke Diekamp	...	Christan Martens
Jürgen Schornagel	...	Sucharzewski
Gudrun Ritter	...	Frau Sucharzewski
Laura Alberta Szalski	...	Sarah Martens
Klaus Zmorek	...	Bosowski
Domenico D'Ambrosio	...	Techniker (Technician)
Holger Franke	...	Karl Prebisch

Also Known As:

Antibodies (International: English title)
Antimatter (International: English title)

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Kinowelt Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Director Christian Alvart uses his own dog to play Schimanski in the film. The dog's real name is Romeo. It is a six-year-old Husky-Rottweiler.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Gabriel Engel: The world is unfair. Even to people like us. Pedro Alonso Lopez committed 300 sex murders. Now, 20 years later, who remembers him? Not a soul. Jack the Ripper is world-famous, and for what? Five bitches. Five! And Charley Manson. The hippie they called "Our Emperor" didn't even commit one murder himself.

Movie Connections:

References Se7en (1995)

Soundtrack:

Firefly Queen

I was surprisingly invested in the ending

The opening moments of this movie are extremely well done, and the moment of grace at the ending was surprisingly well- earned . Surprising because what comes in the middle is at once unformed, lumpy, and all too obvious- albeit with some very fine acting. It was said elsewhere by some commentators that fine performances were given by the actors who played the serial killer and the senior detective who takes a liking to the rural cop because he sees the good in him: this is true. The emotional bond between the senior detective and the younger country cop he called 'Farmer" was well portrayed, indeed.

Unfortunately, the fine beginning and ending and the fine performances- oh, and also the scenes set in the small village, which were atmospheric- bookended a story that was sloppily told. The payoff at the end comes in spite of, and not because of the bulk of the film. But that payoff was, for me, affecting. I was on the edge of my seat, hoping for all the "right" (this is after all a film which commits itself to a belief in right and wrong) things to happen. Definitely a movie worth watching, and dare I hope that it can be improved upon (probably not, OK) when it is remade...