Colonia Dignidad - Es gibt kein zurück

An manchen Stellen ist der Film dumm und greift zu billigen Klischees von Hollywood-Genre-Filmen. Gleichzeitig hat er aber eine feste romantische Linie und bildet einen bizarren Kontrast zu ihr (die Mikrowelt der Kolonie, ihre Figuren und Gesetze). Die Zuschauer*innen sind von der grausamen Macht und der Hilflosigkeit der Opfer schockiert. Der Film ist auch die ganze Zeit SEHR spannend. Nyqvists Negativgestalt ist ein Megaschurke. (21.03.2016)

Möchte sich jemand freiwillig das Foltern der zerbrechlichen und zarten Emma Watson ansehen? Das ist purer Sadomasochismus… In letzter Zeit habe ich zwei Filme über die chilenische Geschichte gesehen, die zeitlich mehrere Jahrzehnte auseinanderliegen. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass es das brutalste und verrückteste Land in Südamerika ist. Dabei darf ich nicht Das Geisterhaus vergessen, das in die gleiche Zeit wie Colonia fällt. Pinochets Regime und der Putsch haben viel Gewalt und Leid verursacht, in Verbindung mit den geflohenen Nazis entstand eine wahre Hölle. Colonia ist wirklich kein angenehmer Film, aber es ist gut, dass solche Filme entstehen. Hoffentlich werden wir solche Gräueltaten nie wieder erleben – obwohl die aktuelle Situation in der Welt nicht darauf hindeutet. Aus der schauspielerischen Sicht darf ich nicht den Polyglotten Daniel und den phänomenalen Michael Nyqvist vergessen (zum ersten Mal habe ich ihn in Verblendung in einer mehr oder weniger positiven Rolle gesehen). Seitdem nur noch Schweine, Schurken und Idioten. Es ist schade, dass solch ein Schauspieler nicht mehr unter uns ist. (21.11.2023)

It isn’t always necessary, but in the case of this movie, I strongly recommend reading the entire summary and taking in every word of it first, so that you know what you are getting into. It will help a lot with the movie itself, which just puts the viewer into the middle of the action, and they don’t have time to find their feet. It puts you into the middle of the action so uncompromisingly that the only thing you can focus on is Daniel Brühl and Emma Watson. Well, and they showed how important members of European cinema they are, because I was completely blown away by their characters. But the whole movie isn’t only about their characters, it is mainly about the whole story, which you probably wouldn’t believe actually happened in the 1970s in Chile. But, as they say, anything is possible on our planet and so I watched with horror the lawlessness our world had to witness. What is funny is the fact that even though the world knew about it, nobody really fought against it. Again, the rule saying anything that happens in a particular state stays in the particular state applies. After a long time a very high-quality European movie that stretches out of the borders of Europe with its story and also actors. Even Michael Nyqvist had fun with his character… You still don’t find it strange that the Germans are behind a story like this, again? (25.05.2016)

In collective scenes sufficiently predatory and absorbing, in moments of terror it forces you to avert your gaze. As a whole, in its message of freedom of spirit, mind, and humanity, it does not fail; in the possibility that something like this is real even in modern history, it is fatally depressing. When looking at the flawless Emma Watson and the captivating Daniel Brühl, I am willing to forgive a few minor stumbles because the content outweighs the importance of the screenplay form this time. (12.04.2016)

If I were to approach Colonia as a so-called serious film that tries to analyze the political situation in Chile after Pinochet's coup and also examines the functioning of closed religious communities, I would have to unconditionally give it a negative rating, and quite radically. Fortunately, being well-informed, I have always perceived Colonia as an adventurous thriller with a strong romantic subplot that perceives the political situation after the military coup only as a backdrop for its storytelling. Within the genre, it is certainly above average. The film is well cast, especially Michael Nyqvist as the sect leader, who acts appropriately corrupted and demonic. He truly relishes the role. Of course, weaknesses and flaws can be found in the screenplay, especially in the last ten minutes when Colonia imitates the finale of Argo, which comes across rather comically. While in Argo, you felt like the Ayatollahs were breathing down your neck, while here the ending seems somewhat naive. However, the main thing is that, practically throughout the film, it maintains its pace and tension in line with what it wants to be. It simply entertains. I thus have no reason to give it less than 4 stars and a 75% overall impression. (18.05.2016)