Gegen die Wand (2004)

Director:

Fatih Akin

Writer:

Fatih Akin (book)

Release Date:

11 March 2004 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

In 'Gegen die Wand' Cahit, a 40-something male from Mersin in Turkey has removed everything Turkish from his life...

Plot Keywords:

Alcoholic | Manslaughter | Female Frontal Nudity | Male Nudity | Machismo

Awards:

23 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Birol Ünel	...	Cahit Tomruk
Sibel Kekilli	...	Sibel
Catrin Striebeck	...	Maren
Meltem Cumbul	...	Selma (Cousine)
Zarah McKenzie	...	Barfrau in der Fabrik
Stefan Gebelhoff	...	Nico
Francesco Fiannaca	...	Mann am Tresen
Mona Mur	...	Stammkundin Zoe Bar
Ralph Misske	...	Patient 1 (Psychiatrie)
Philipp Baltus	...	Patient 2 (Psychiatrie)
Hermann Lause	...	Dr. Schiller
Karin Niwiger	...	Kassiererin (Psychiatrie)
Demir Gökgöl	...	Yunus Güner (Vater)
Cem Akin	...	Yilmaz Güner (Bruder)
Aysel Iscan	...	Birsen Güner (Mutter)

Also Known As:

Duvara karsi (Turkey: Turkish title)
Head-On (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic sexuality, pervasive language, some brutal violence and drug content.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

Germany | Turkey

Language:

German | Turkish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hong Kong:III | South Korea:18 | Chile:14 | Japan:R-18 | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:R | Hungary:16 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Brazil:18 | Czech Republic:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:R21 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Fabrik, Altona, Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Arte

Trivia:

Director Fatih Akin's brother Cem plays the part of Sibel's brother.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The psychiatrist at the beginning of the film tells Cahit about a song by the band The The containing the line "If you can't change the world, change your world". The actual quote (from the song "Lonely Planet", included in the album "Dusk") is "If you can't change the world, change yourself".

Quotes:

Sibel: Cahit! I'm getting laid!
Cahit: [looking at Sibel and then the guy]
Sibel: Did you see the guy?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)

Soundtrack:

My Man Don't Love Me

Finally a good European movie

I expected a typical immigrant drama from this one, but fortunately, the movie proved out to be a lot more than that. Gegen die Wand is the story of a man who loses faith in everything (love, God, nationality, and ultimately life itself), only to regain it in unusual circumstances. If that sounds cheesy, well, it is anything but.

The movie always feels real, never descending into patheticism, and the 2 lead actors portray attractive, interesting characters that totally transcend immigrant archetypes.

Faith Akin was worthy of the best European movie award he got here, as the film succeeds on all levels: immigrant drama, love story, and meditation on different ethical principles.