User reviews

The subject matter is not unfamiliar - a decent German (in this case a talented young boxer) fights to retain his humanity in the face of Nazi pressure to lose it as a bad habit. At heavy cost to himself he refuses. And thinking back to the beginning of the movie we should not be surprised: to accept the invitation to attend an elite academy he must defy his father. To maintain his self-respect later on he must defy the surrogate fathers he has acquired at the academy.

This a superbly produced, directed film. The young actors' performances are believable and affecting. And for people who care about such things, Max Riemelt as Friedrich, the young, virile, gorgeous protagonist is a very easy guy to look at. Jim Smith

Napola is a disturbingly intellectual movie. The more you think on the message; the more disturbing it becomes. It is actually very scary the normality of the 'education', and shows the ease to which the standard human being can be nurtured into whatever the government wishes to instill. Very poignant in todays current affairs!

The movie itself has a lot in common with 'Dead Poet's Society', ergo the journey of self-discovery and one's place amidst the strict paradigm of expectancy. Complete with tragedy and the strong hint of insidious cruelty, Napola is not a superficial standardised 'Hollywood' outing (thank goodness).

The facts at the end of the movie were amazing in their ability to encapsulate the futility and warn against brainwashing of a nation. May more people be aware of this practice so the 'real' terror be rightfully and publicly rebuked.

The insidious thing about Napola is that you can actually see yourself and people around you as the characters in the film. Normality is the order of the day, everyone's just basically going about their lives, studying what they have to in school, with boisterous speeches the only slightly strange thing. However when you think about it, you realize that National Socialism's social genetic experiments were really subtle. The effort to create a master governing race pervades the whole film, and is the main driving force behind the story. Eventually, we see basic humanity winning a small tinny victory over a truly evil and brutal regime. And that is the beauty of the film.

BEFORE THE FALL ('NAPOLA') is a brilliantly made film that addresses the blind hopes of youth in becoming a success as a man, a factor that allowed and allows dictators to entice young men into the realm of warriors under the guise of applauded bravery and the golden promise of achieving glory for a great cause. This story just happens to be about Hitler and his 40 Napola (training camps for the elite German youths in 1942) and the young boys and men who trained in these National Political societies. It could be found in many places and in many times...

Friedrich Weimer (handsome and talented young Max Riemelt) comes from the lower class in Germany (his father is aiming him toward factory work) and is a fine young boxer. His talents are noted by some representatives from the Nazi party and he is asked to report for enrollment in a Napola, an important means of education and training that Friedrich sees as being his way to become something special, someone important. His father is anti-Nazi and refuses to let Friedrich go, but Friedrich is determined and runs into the night to join the Napola. Once there he is admitted, groomed as a boxer for the Napola, and introduced to the Hitler's youth movement. His fellow classmates vary from the very wealthy to other fine Arian lads. They are trained, observed, and brainwashed as to the glory of the Thousand Year Reich. Problems begin to arise when Friedrich gets to know his fellow classmates: Siegfried (Martin Goeres) is a bed wetter and is humiliated publicly for his problem; Albrecht (Tom Schilling) is a poet and writer whose father is one of the governors of the Napola and Albrecht is anti-war; other lads seem on the surface to be obedient yet most have hidden reservations about what they are doing.

Being 1942 some changes are occurring in the Nazi dream and the Senior class is sent out on a mission to fight the enemy. And one night Friedrich's class is called out of bed and sent into the woods to find Russian soldiers who are 'threatening' their security. The boys open fire on the Russians only to find that they have killed a number of unarmed Russian boys. This profoundly disturbs them all, but Albrecht in particular. Friedrich continues to observe the manner in which he and the other boys are used and slowly his best friends find ways to martyr themselves and ultimately Friedrich does the same in his only way - by changing the way he approaches the Napola expectations of his boxing.

Max Riemelt as Friedrich is outstanding: not only does he have the solid extraordinary good looks but he also can act, satisfying every nuance of this challenging role. The remainder of the cast - both young boys and the adults running the Napola - are superb. The cinematography is subtly beautiful, ranging from the tough interiors inside to the vistas of a Germany before it was destroyed by the not too distant fall. Director Dennis Gansel, who co-wrote the script with Maggie Peren, is a young man (the featurette with the DVD has an enlightening conversation between Gansel and Riemelt) knows exactly how to capture both the wide-eyed innocence of youth and the slowly crumbled ideals of young men. This is an outstanding film to see and experience. Its lessons are terrifying and intense. In German with English subtitles. Grady Harp

this movie tells the story of German youth. in the year 1942 the Nazis are at the peak of their power. but it is not just war, the Nazis are up to lots of different things. like creating an elite of arian top trained men, brainwashed in to believing whatever they are being told. i was intrigued by this movie, because i cant imagine the terror and strict upbringing of these young men. but they where the elite, and in the elite there is no time for sympathy or mercy. "if you die you are weak". the few men that does not buy in to the propaganda that is being fed to them are considered outcasts. those that actually understand that the Nazis are the evil side. this is a very interesting subject of history that i haven't seen a lot of, therefore the film is.. in my opinion original and entertaining.

I saw this film once, and needed to return once more to see it again. This film touched my heart in a way that very few others have. Max Riemelt and Tom Schilling give one of the most convincing and stellar performances I have ever seen. Their chemistry on screen is such that the audience becomes fully engaged in their emotion and in their situation. Their heart-wrenching performance is illuminated by director Dennis Gansel's artistic genius. There are breathtaking shots of German landscape and scenery. There are angles and shots throughout the movie that remain very close to you long after the movie is finished. The story is a very vivid reminder of the horrors that man is capable of producing. This German film is a reminder of that horror, but also reminds us that there is innocence within that horror. If anything, this film depicted young men who were stripped of their innocence. Some gave in to the horror, while our heroes fought against it. For those who are lovers of the German language, you will hear no finer dialogue and range of speech than in this incredible work. I urge anyone and everyone to see this film.

There is a time to stand up and resist or at least refuse. But there is also a time where that moment seems to have past. Because once a system is in place, it takes more than just courage to go against that system that will protect itself with all means necessary. Now some may ask why there are so many movies about the Nazis that have been made in Germany. It is easy because first of all it is something that they are familiar with and secondly something that should never be forgotten (something that some people unfortunately seem to forget every now and then).

There are some nice boxing scenes in this too and there is some violence, so this is not for the faint hearted. Acting is more than decent too, which is very important for a movie of this size and magnitude but does not always work that way in Germany. If you want to have a look behind the training methods and what some people probably thought back then, this is a good start. Also the horrors of war ...

I just watched Napola at the Montreal World Film Festival and I was pleasantly surprised. This choice of a random movie turned out to be a real cinematographic gem.

Set during World War II, this movie is about the dilemma and choices of some German teenagers who attend a napola - a special institution for gifted boys to turn them into the Nazi elite. Their days consist of military training and indoctrination; they are forced to lose all pity and become ruthless servants of the Fuhrer.

The story follows the entrance of Friedrich into a napola, the changes that he undergoes and the choices that he makes. Admitted because of his boxing skills, he seizes it as an opportunity to escape his poor working class situation. His best friend at the napola is the Governor's son - sensitive, caring, humane and opposed to Nazi dogma, he is obviously in the wrong place but has no choice but to fulfill his dad's wishes. As their friendship develops, Friedrich struggles between the ideology that the napola is forcing upon him and his friend's pacific beliefs.

This powerful film with excellent acting culminates on the boxing ring as Friedrich fights against the champion from another napola. The scene of the morning practice on the frozen lake left me breathless, while the ending of the grenade throwing session shook me with its passion, despair, and horror.

Another reason why I liked this movie so much is that it is made by Germans; indeed one would expect Hollywood to come up with such a story and that the outcome would be a highly emotional melodrama. I could feel the director disagreeing strongly with the Nazis, but rather than feeling shameful for what his countrymen did 60 years ago, he denounced it. Indeed, Friedrich's ultimate choice should be the choice of the new Germany.

My rating: 9/10

This film which depicts an elite Nazi teenage male youth training facility takes place in Germany during 1941 or 1942. Students are being trained to become future leaders after Germany wins the war. Much of the training is brutal. Students are taught to win regardless of any pain that their actions might cause their fellow man - whether friend or foe, fellow countryman or enemy. The film tells how the students accept or reject their training and the consequences of their decisions/indecisions.

I saw this film at the 2005 Palm Springs International Film Festival at a "Best of Fest" special showing. It certainly should be a candidate for an academy nomination as "Best Foreign Language Film" but I do not know if it has a distributor for North America. It reminded me somewhat of a 2003 Palm Springs festival entry - EVIL/ONDSKAN (Dir. Mikael Hafstrom/Sweden) - which also packed an emotional kick in the gut that left me stuck in my seat for at least five minutes after the film had ended. Napola is the better of the two films by far. Great acting, script, direction, music, etc. See it on a big cinema screen if at all possible since film makes great use of the colors that will not have a similar impact in a video format.

This is a brilliant movies about how kids were given a chance for great fortune in the future German empire, happily without the morality a Hollywood movie would portray the same material with. This is a movie that asks the viewer to think for himself instead of being predisposed. However much this is filmed in a style akin to that of Leni Riefenstahl, master director of nazi-propaganda films, it is a critical movie. And it also shows how people could sympathize for the cause, however brutal it was seen with historical hindsight.

The actors of Albrecht and the boxer both do a good job here and the strength of the movie lies in what is cuts out, it's a sparse tale with just the bare necessities left, at least in what we're used to with western cinema.

a Nazi story. gentle and cruel, in same measure. a young man. his dream. a way. and the price. more than image of a youth organization, it is fresco of evil seduction. and chronicle of limits front to real values. result - a beautiful film. not only for performance of actors, for script or for realism of image. but for flavor after its end. it is a part of courageous German cinema work for define past out of precise definitions. for explore the essence, the seed, the heart of a nightmare who was, for its period, only a dream.it is a delicate operation this confrontation with dark ghosts. but it must be realized. for understand. for the honest verdict. as challenge. or warning. because the past is a puzzle of nuances. nothing else. the colors are only frame. but not the picture.

Involving rigorous physical activity and political indoctrination in total subservience to Hitler and his ideas of a German master race, Napolas (National-Political Institutes of Learning) were established with the purpose of training future political, business, and social leaders for the "Thousand-Year Reich". In these schools, there was no room for debating opposing views or philosophical niceties like ends and means. The schools taught that only the strong survive. Anyone who showed any trace of independent thinking or sensitivity to human values were sadistically harassed and weeded out.

Based on the recollections of his grandfather, Dennis Gansel's Before the Fall (Napola —Elite für den Führer) is a riveting coming of age story about the training of one such Nazi elite in the Germany of 1942. The work transcends its limitations as a genre film to tackle a more universal theme - the struggle between external ideals and matters of inner conscience. Like Igor, the idealistic teenager in Dardenne's La Promesse, Friedrich Weimer (Max Riemelt), a Nordic-looking, working class boxer must deal with issues of conscience in an environment that is anathema to the assertion of human values. Friedrich is only seventeen when he is approached after an amateur boxing match by a Nazi instructor at a Napola school. Seeking to salvage the athletic reputation of the school, he sees in Freidrich not only a boxing champion, but a blank slate that can be molded to fit the Nazi ideal.

Friedrich, destined to follow his father as a factory laborer, sees the chance to both serve the fatherland and advance his own career and signs his own registration papers when his father refuses to agree. The boy is still very innocent but genuinely idealistic and possesses genuine warmth as shown in the scene in which he reassures his younger brother. Friederich's mind is open to the Nazi indoctrination not because he is without conscience but because he simply hasn't seen any reason to question the prevailing zeitgeist.

Freiderich's limited world experience suddenly expands, however, when he meets two other classmates: Siegfried Gladen (Martin Goeres), a boy who has a bed-wetting problem ruthlessly exploited as weakness by his fellow cadets and their sadistic teachers, and Albrecht Stein (Tom Schilling), the son of Heinrich Stein (Justus Vob Dohnanyi), a hateful Nazi governor. Albrecht who has the dangerous idea that people should consult their own conscience before blindly following orders is a boy of sensitivity and poetry, the embodiment perhaps of the true German spirit of Goethe and Heine. His father is revolted, however, by the boy's perceived weakness and humiliates him by insisting that he and Freidrich engage in a very uneven boxing match when he invites his friend to his home.

Albrecht begins to question the merciless Nazi training after he sees Freidrich deliver a blow to the head of a fighter when he is already down. He also recoils in horror and speaks out publicly after the cadets are marched out into the forest to track down and murder allegedly escaped Russian POWs, in reality unarmed children. This incident results in a break in the relationship of the two boys and a sudden but predictable tragedy.

Before the Fall is more than an accounting of the Nazi's disregard for human values, a fact already well-established. It is a more profound statement of how people need to be educated to think for themselves and take a stand for what they believe to be right. Impeccably directed and beautifully performed, Before the Fall is one of the most powerful and disturbing films of recent memory.

Even though the attempt to present an important topic in an entertaining rather than educational way works for long stretches, I am not completely satisfied with the result. There is the often very theatrical acting of some actors who come more from the theatre, which is noticeable in their pronunciation and body language, and who cannot necessarily adapt to the conditions that a camera requires, as it records every detail. So you don't have to play for the 20th row in the theatre. On top of that, I would have liked the emotional journey to be even more intense. Yes, when you see a film 16 years after it was made, some impressions naturally shift, but this could have been better in 2005. The two main actors could not be more different, Max Riemelt, more of a physical performer, Tom Schilling, more of a fine spirit, a tender young man who rejects violence. The friendship between the two could have had more depth, but we understood what the film had in store in terms of themes and, all in all, it all works quite well. Why it was not nominated for an Oscar is obvious to me. Unfortunately, there was no compelling content and aesthetic design in the end.

There seems to be a lot of controversy over whether or not these boys are gay. Homosexuality is so "in style" in this age, that everything seems to get tainted in one way or another. Not to mention all the implications over the years that Hitler was "Gay". This is absolutely ludicrous. It was an amazing film. The 2 young stars were sensational. I think somebody hit it on the nose when they said its all because the 2 stars are attractive males. They are both very handsome young men and I'm sure many homosexual men out there would love to think that there was "sexual tension" between the two youths but get over it! Not every person in this world is gay! Quit trying to change Earth into the "Gay Planet".

Actually a very courageous film that I enjoyed quite a lot. Very convincing actors, good set design and the director actually takes on the dangerous risk of toying with Nazi Aestheticism to capture the audience, which makes viewers feel uncomfortable, since even though they are enthralled by its impression, they know somehow it's wrong. This way, Gansel turns the viewer into an ally and tries to make him understand, why so many people were impressed by this era and how and why the boys were lured and brainwashed.

However, this is where the problems start. Even though I really like this film, there are two things that really spoil it a little for me. One of them is a problem of storytelling, the other is a problem of morals, which makes it even more dangerous for me.

The first issue is not that much of a problem, actually. I just feel that the solution to Albrecht's dilemma comes too quick. From the moment he speaks out to the tragic ending only about 15 minutes pass and even though the scene at the frozen lake is impressive, I think that this is quite a cop-out (not Albrecht's decision, but the screenwriter's decision) and I always felt Gansel could have made it a lot more powerful and emotional.

Now for my second issue with this movie. I believe that characters such as the one portrayed by the always reliable Devid Striesow are very convincing and real in being friendly and supposedly well-meaning but at the same time dangerous and not trustworthy. But why are all of the students innocent? None of the roommates of the two main characters is in any way a Nazi. They all go through this school, some of them have been there since their early childhood, yet all they struggle with are the problems kids at any boarding school have to face. If you think that they have been there for so many years, why does none of them show any sign of having adopted the Nazi philosophy? None of them speaks out against Albrecht, none of them supports the ideology, they all just go along like victims. Sure, they were victims of the system, but does not this omission just make this movie uneven, contradictory to itself and even dangerous in a moral view?

If this school has been designed to educate kids to become followers and members of the SS and they do not become infiltrated by the ideology (as in reality they were) why would this school be wrong? I think the director hast made a giant mistake here.

OK, there are some kids that are portrayed as Nazis, but they were all just the kids in the last grade who in the end go to fight the war. So, it must be assumed, that for a long time you are just a kid and don't get anything these teachers tell you and then from one day to the other, when you are old enough you just magically transform into a Nazi follower? I think this suggestion is completely misleading.

I love this movie on many parts (that's why I gave it 8 stars) and I think it was a very brave project. But in the end, because the director is not brave enough to show the whole picture, it ultimately unfortunately fails and not very much more remains but a feeling of having just watched a German remake of "Dead Poets Society".

Contains slight spoilers.

This is one of a new breed of German films (like 'The Downfall') that takes a new look at the Nazi period. It is not afraid to show how attractive Nazism actually seemed to most Germans at the time and to show 'nice' characters happily giving the Hitler salute. Not that the film is in any way pro-Nazi -- quite the reverse.

Here we have a story about an élite school for future Nazi leaders. A working-class boy who is good at boxing is given a place there, where he makes friends with the sensitive son of the local Nazi leader. The brutality of the system eventually pushes both of them to become outsiders. Two suicides tellingly punctuate the story.

The acting is outstanding throughout, especially by the young stars of the film. Max Riemelt is particularly good as the boxer. The character is meant to be a doer rather than a thinker, unlike his friend, but Riemelt manages the transition from easy-going and rather empty-headed Hitler youth to someone who is prepared to stand against the inhumanity of Nazism.

The plot contains some powerful dramatic set pieces, such as the scene with the hand grenades and the one where the students dive under a frozen lake. These are brilliantly handled by the director and screenwriter, Dennis Gansel. He manages to bring out the full drama of them without overdoing it or lurching into melodrama or pathos.

I'm not generally a great fan of German films, many of which tend to be either self-consciously arty or trashily commercial. This is the best one I've seen since Das Boot.

In this film, we are thrust into the harrowing landscape of Nazi Germany, where the protagonist, Friedrich Weimer, navigates the treacherous waters of an elite Nazi school, or "napola," with aspirations of becoming a boxer. As a young Aryan from a working-class, anti-Nazi German family, Friedrich's journey unfolds against the backdrop of intense physical, ethical, and ideological training, all under the watchful eye of a regime hell-bent on molding the minds and bodies of its youth.

From a cinematographic perspective, the film offers glimpses into the stark realities of life under Nazi rule, with sweeping shots that capture the austere beauty of the German countryside juxtaposed against the brutality of the regime. However, while the film succeeds in setting the stage for a compelling narrative, its execution falls short in several key areas.

One of the film's primary shortcomings lies in its often overly theatrical acting, particularly noticeable in some of the actors who hail from a theater background. Their exaggerated pronunciations and gestures, more suited to the stage than the screen, detract from the overall authenticity of the performances. Additionally, while the two main actors, Max Riemelt and Tom Schilling, deliver solid performances, their characters' emotional journey could have been more deeply explored, particularly in terms of their evolving friendship and the moral dilemmas they face.

Thematically, the film touches on important issues such as identity, loyalty, and the seductive allure of fascist ideology, but ultimately fails to delve into these topics with the depth and nuance they deserve. Instead, it relies on familiar tropes and clichés, offering little in the way of genuine insight or revelation.

Despite its shortcomings, "Napola" does have its merits. The film's production values are commendable, with attention to detail evident in every frame. The period setting is meticulously recreated, transporting viewers back in time to a world on the brink of cataclysmic change. Additionally, the film's score, while at times melodramatic, effectively underscores the emotional intensity of key scenes.

In conclusion, "Napola" is a film that falls short of its ambitious goals. While it offers glimpses into the complexities of life under Nazi rule, its execution ultimately lacks the depth and resonance needed to truly engage and provoke its audience.

In a world of Nazi madness most people follow the leaders... regardless of their values. When a Nazi officer sees his son's critical of the system, he thinks he is too weak. This sums it up. In his mind those who kill more people, who follow the Nazi ideals are the strong ones. There's no room for the "weak ones". His son has become aware of the lies and the lack of human values of those who order them kill Russian unarmed kids trying to escape, and has realized they're becoming evil like his father. Going against the system is extremely difficult and painful, requires strength of character...

This movie painfully opens our eyes to why a whole country looked the other way when atrocities happened and makes us think whether or not we would've been any different had we been in their shoes. The story was told in a very simple, yet sensitive manner, with excellent acting and beautiful, photography.

Friedrich Weimer (Max Riemelt) is a young Aryan with potential as a boxer, the son of a working-class, anti-Nazi German family. He receives an invitation to pass the admission tests in an elite Nazi school or "napola", which offers him the opportunity to train as a hopeful boxer and to have access to university studies. Friedrich ignores his father's refuses, goes to the school, passes the tests and enters the napola, where he is subjected to harsh physical, ethical and ideological training. Despite this premise that is so attractive and rarely addressed by German cinema, there is no surprise in this film, no tension or expectation, no mystery and much less poetry.

One senses what is going to happen, at least emotionally, and suspects that everything will turn into a tragic mess, but it gives the viewer little to think, deduce or learn. Angelo Badalamenti's syrupy music takes the film in unwelcome melodramatic directions, as the movie refuses to explore the motivations of its characters (especially those of the boxing teacher who helps Friedrich enter the napola) or develop the boy's character with more depth.

With its "zero degree" style, «Napola» could have been made in Hollywood without being very different from a film with Tom Cruise or Rob Lowe in their younger years. And that's why I think the applause of many viewers came from, who feel secure with a story they have seen many times, nothing to alter their notions of status quo, and all the ingredients to weep with the mishaps suffered by Friedrich and his rebellious friend Albrecht (Tom Schilling). For me, however, there are no inspired moments, just routine sequences, and several bad or tearful segments, performed by a cast of young and old actors who try but are often betrayed by the trite script. A pity.

Let me first say that I really enjoyed watching the movie. It was superb entertainment from beginning to end.

However, I have read some comments claiming that this movie is superior in its realism to your off the shelf Hollywood flick. That is far from the truth in my opinion. A simple change of perspective, in this case a view of WW2 from the German side, doesn't automatically equate to realism. This movie is commercial, it is cheesy, it suffers from overacting and tries really hard to lecture us about the evil of NAZIsm. Nevertheless, it is highly entertaining and that's what movies should be about. Go see it.