Die Kreuzritter

I recorded my only two truancy absences in my childhood thanks to this film. During the communist era, our cinema used to run so-called "Morning screenings for pensioners" (really, I'm not kidding) twice a week, where for a symbolic five crowns you could brighten up your day. As part of it they screened this two-part historical film, so school was out of the question, I, as a history lover, had no choice. I didn’t mind the write-down in my pupil’s book, what mattered was that the Crusaders got their asses kicked in the battle of Grünwald. Really, for lovers of the historical genre, this is a hearty meal, an epically sweeping, narrative spectacle with a strong story and a nice battle at the end. I only have to warn you about the DVD edition sold here, which is absolutely horrible and looks like a VHS tape that has been scratched hundreds of times, and with a side cut! Truly disgusting! (09.03.2008)