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) | April 10th, 2008 |
| Running time | 120 minutes (approx.) |
| Country | Germany UK |
| Language | English German |
| Budget | €18 million ($22.5 million) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Red Baron (German title: Der Rote Baron) is an upcoming 2008 feature film about legendary fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Baron Manfred von Richthofen is the most feared and celebrated pilot of the Imperial German Air Service in World War I. His companions and himself view their aerial combat as a noble sporting contest, ignoring the terrible extent of war. After being wounded in action, von Richthofen falls in love with the nurse Käte and realizes he is only being manipulated for propaganda. Torn between his disgust for the war and duty to his men, von Richthofen sets out to fly again.
[edit] Controversy
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]
There has never been any historical evidence to purport the story that Manfred von Richthofen was ever romantically linked with his nurse.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role | Title/Rank of Character |
|---|---|---|
| Matthias Schweighöfer | Manfred von Richthofen | Freiherr / Rittmeister |
| Til Schweiger | Werner Voss | Lieutenant |
| Lena Headey | Käte | Nurse |
| Joseph Fiennes | Roy Brown | Captain |
| Volker Bruch | Lothar von Richthofen | Freiherr / Oberleutnant |
| Maxim Mehmet | Sternberg | Lieutenant |
| Steffen Schroeder | Bodenschatz | Lieutenant |
| Hanno Koffler | Lehmann | Lieutenant |
| Tino Mewes | Kurt Wolff | Lieutenant |
| Ralph Misske | Menzke | |
| Axel Prahl | von Hoeppner | General |
| Gitta Schweighöfer | Kunigunde von Richthofen | |
| Jan Vlasák | Major von Richthofen | Major |
[edit] Production details
- 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] 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
- ^ German-cinema.de. Red Baron, The (rote Baron, Der).
- ^ crew-united.com. The Red Baron.
[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
