The Red Baron (film)
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| The Red Baron | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nikolai Müllerschön |
| Produced by | Dan Maag Thomas Reisser Roland Pellegrino |
| Written by | Nikolai Müllerschön |
| Starring | Matthias Schweighöfer Joseph Fiennes Til Schweiger Lena Headey |
| Cinematography | Klaus Merkel |
| Editing by | Christian Lonk |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros.[1] |
| Release date(s) | Fall 2007 |
| Running time | 120 minutes (approx.) |
| Country | Germany UK |
| Language | English German |
| Budget | €18 million ($22.5 million) |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Red Baron' (German title: Der Rote Baron) is an upcoming 2007 feature film about legendary fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen.
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[edit] Plot and historical accuracy
Manfred, Freiherr von Richtofen is the most feared and celebrated pilot of the German air force in World War I. To him and his companions, air combats are events of sporty nature, technical challenge and honorable acting, ignoring the terrible extent of war. But after falling in love with the nurse Käte, Manfred realizes he is only used for propaganda means. Caught between his disgust for the war, and the responsibility for his fighter wing, von Richthofen sets out to fly again.
It has been reported that the movie portrays Canadian pilot Roy Brown killing the Baron.[2] Modern research has shown that Brown could not have killed von Richthofen, as he did not fire at him from the angle at which the fatal bullet approached, or within the right timeframe,[3] although he was given credit for it by the Royal Air Force. It is now believed that Australian machine gunner Cedric Popkin, or another Australian soldier, killed the baron. (See: Who shot Manfred von Richthofen?)
Director Nikolai Müllerschön has said:
- A meticulous reconstruction of the Baron's life and the historical setting was not uppermost in mind, that didn't interest me so much. It is more important to see what is relevant for people today. I saw no sense in making the film like a well-researched documentary. However, during my preparation on the film and looking into the story of his life, the man seems to be more like how I thought he should be.[4]
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role | Title/Rank/Occupation Of Character |
|---|---|---|
| Matthias Schweighöfer | Manfred von Richthofen | Freiherr (Baron) |
| Lena Headey | Käte | Nurse |
| Til Schweiger | Werner Voss | |
| Joseph Fiennes | Roy Brown | Captain |
| Axel Prahl | General von Hoeppner | General |
| Volker Bruch | Lothar von Richthofen | |
| Maxim Mehmet | Sternberg | Lieutenant |
| Steffen Schroeder | Bodenschatz | Lieutenant |
| Hanno Koffler | Lehmann | Lieutenant |
| Tino Mewes | Wolff | Lieutenant |
| Ralph Misske | Menzke | |
| Gitta Schweighöfer | Kunigunde von Richthofen | |
| Jan Vlasák | Major von Richthofen | Major |
[edit] Production details
- Status: Postproduction + CGI by PIXOMONDO
- Shooting schedule: July 10 - October 3, 2006[5]
- Filming Locations: Prague & surrounding area, Czech Republic / Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Type of film financing: Private (raised by NIAMA-FILM)
[edit] Trivia
- Originally, the movie was planned to be shot in the US and Val Kilmer was supposed to play the lead role. But after deciding to make it an European production (in order to keep it under creative control), Matthias Schweighöfer got the part.[4]
- Note regarding personal names: Freiherr is a title, translated as Baron, not a first or middle name. The female forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
- The actors were trained by Andrew Jack, the dialect coach of Troy, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and GoldenEye [6]
[edit] References
- '^ variety.com. Warner flies with 'Baron. Retrieved on February 6, 2007.
- ^ Canada.com. Red Baron flick gives nod to Canadian pilot. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
- ^ Dr Geoffrey Miller, 1998, "The Death of Manfred von Richthofen: who fired the fatal shot?", in Sabretache: Journal and Proceedings of the Military History Society of Australia, vol. XXXIX, no. 2
- ^ a b German-cinema.de. Red Baron, The (rote Baron, Der).
- ^ crew-united.com. The Red Baron.
- ^ Andrewjack.com. Film projects.
[edit] External links
[edit] Official
- Official Website (flash)
- The Red Baron at MySpace
- Red Baron - The movie channel on youtube
- The Red Baron on Blogger
[edit] Press
- Variety.com - Pricey 'Red Baron' recalls war exploits
- Timesonline.co.uk - After 88 years, the Red Baron is flying high again
