Michael Kohlhaas

Braveheart für Anspruchsvollere. Das Gewirr von existenziellen Gedanken, welches die Hauptfigur erlebt, erinnert an ein Drama von Shakespeare. Es geht aber bloß um eine scheinbar einfache Geschichte über eine Rache. Stolz, Unrecht, Zorn, moralische Prinzipien, die (Un)Gerechtigkeit der Zeit. Ein interessanter und eigenartiger Schnitt, manche Zeilen der Handlung werden ausgelassen und man verlässt sich auf die Anteilnahme des Publikums. Das Bild sowie der Ton sind spannend, die dichte Stimmung wird anhand von Minimalismus erzeugt (der laute Wind ist hier wichtiger als die emotionalen musikalischen Passagen, von denen es sehr wenig gibt). Und ein wie immer bravouröser Mikkelsen. (13.04.2016)

Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas is a totally awesome and properly made drama from the 16th century. It tells the story of revenge that doesn’t go unanswered. What makes the movie a bit more complicated is the manner of storytelling, which is pretty raw. It’s raw, often taciturn and it tells you a lot about the times. In general, it seems to me that the director really wanted to get as close to 16th century as possible. The characters don’t really speak much, they act. At the same time, you have Mads Mikkelsen here, who couldn’t possibly be more charismatic. I think you only come across a character this charismatic once per year. You simply look at him and you can sense gusts of wind brushing off his weathered face. I mean everybody would grow old quickly in those clearings where the movie takes place. Nevertheless, you will either fall in love with the film’s minimalism, or you will hate it for how boring it is. It worked for me, as I really liked the film. The film flows smoothly, it doesn’t rush things, but it rather manages to raise a whole number of philosophical questions not only about God, but also about society in general, which is a good thing. The user Salahadin unfortunately didn’t find any of that in the movie, which proves that it’s not for everybody. But if you accept the minimalism, the ending will knock you out. It’s actually one of the few moments where you get perfect minimalist music and the climax that shows Mads in the light of his ultimate acting performance and you will be left breathless in the last five minutes of the movie. Or at least that’s how the movie struck me. (10.10.2014)