Invincible (2001)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer (WGA):

Werner Herzog (written by)

Release Date:

2 December 2001 (Hungary)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

A Jewish strongman performs in Berlin as the blond Aryan hero Siegfried.

Plot Keywords:

Strongman | Jewish | Poland | Rabbi | Occult

Cast

Tim Roth	...	Hersche Steinschneider / Erik Jan Hanussen
Jouko Ahola	...	Zishe Breitbart
Anna Gourari	...	Marta Farra
Max Raabe	...	Master of Ceremonies
Jacob Wein	...	Benjamin Breitbart
Gustav-Peter Wöhler	...	Alfred Landwehr (as Gustav Peter Woehler)
Udo Kier	...	Count Helldorf
Herbert Golder	...	Rabbi Edelmann
Gary Bart	...	Yitzak Breitbart
Renate Krößner	...	Mother Breitbart
Ben-Tzion Hershberg	...	Gershon
Rebecca Wein	...	Rebecca
Raphael Wein	...	Raphael
Daniel Wein	...	Daniel
Chana Wein	...	Chana

Also Known As:

Unbesiegbar (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and thematic elements.

Runtime:

Argentina:133 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Italy:128 min (Venice Film Festival) | UK:133 min | USA:133 min

Country:

UK | Germany | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #38406) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Argentina:13 | France:U | Germany:6 | UK:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Trivia:

The actress Anna Gourari who plays the character Marta Faria is an actual world class pianist and plays all the pieces in the movie with out having to fake it at playing the piano.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The real Marta Faria was a talented strong-woman in her own right; she could wrap a steel bar around her arm and once supported the front legs of a large elephant on her shoulders. She was not the slender pianist seen in the movie.

Quotes:

Zishe Breitbart: [after outlifting and defeating a circus strongman in hand-to-hand] I can do more! I can do more!

Movie Connections:

References Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler - Ein Bild der Zeit (1922)

Soundtrack:

Arioso 'Dank sei Dir, Herr'

Familiar Herzog

Werner Herzog has always been one of my favorite filmmakers and it was hard to keep up with him when I joined the military so this was the first film of his I have seen in a theater since "Fitzcarraldo". I did like this film but its clearly not one of his best. As I watched this film I could not help but think of the other actors Herzog has used in the past and how they could be cast in this film. Of course Tim Roth would have had Klaus Kinski in his role. Eva Mattes would be Marta who's played by Anna Gourari and how many times has Herzog used a non actor in the lead? The cinematography is terrific and the period is beautifully detailed. The music is by Hans Zimmer and he is a legend but his score doesn't evoke the same haunting sounds that Popol Vuh did. I didn't mind the fact that Jouko Ahola as Zishe cannot act. He really isn't suppose to. Herzog is going for a more realistic response to the complexities of what is going on around him. Herzog has done this before with Bruno S. Tim Roth is excellent and I also liked the charm of Anna Gourari. And its always good to see Udo Kier! This film is certainly not up to "Aguirre" or "Nosferatu" or "Fitzcarraldo" but it is better than "Kaspar Hauser". Not great but its pure Herzog.