The Bunker (2001)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Rob Green

Writer:

Clive Dawson (written by)

Release Date:

27 September 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller | War

Tagline:

The evil is within.

Plot:

Seven German soldiers are enclosed in one bunker during the Second World War. They soon feel surrounded by enemies...

Plot Keywords:

Bunker | Soldier | Tunnel | German Army | WWII

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jason Flemyng	...	Cpl. Baumann
Andrew Tiernan	...	LCpl. Schenke
Christopher Fairbank	...	Sgt. Heydrich
Simon Kunz	...	Lt. Krupp
Andrew Lee Potts	...	Pvt. Neumann
John Carlisle	...	Pvt. Mirus
Eddie Marsan	...	Pfc. Kreuzmann
Jack Davenport	...	LCpl. Ebert
Charley Boorman	...	Pfc. Franke
Nicholas Hamnett	...	Pvt. Engels
Peter O'Connor	...	Corporal 1
Josh Cole	...	Corporal 2
Iain McKee	...	Private
Nick Rutherford	...	Deserter
Simon D'Arcy	...	SS officer (as Simon Darcy)

Also Known As:

The Bunker: The Evil Is Within (UK) (DVD box title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

95 min | UK:92 min | USA:88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Black Park Country Park, Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Millennium Pictures

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At one point a German general refers to George Patton's "Third Division." General Patton commanded the U.S. Third Army, an organization considerably bigger than a division.

Quotes:

Lt. Krupp: [after announcing their orders to hold the bunker with low ammo and no reinforcements] This time they will not have the element of surprise.
LCpl. Ebert: They don't need surprise if there's an armoured column heading straight for...
Lt. Krupp: Where is this armoured column coming from?
LCpl. Ebert: OH, COME ON! The same place they did! We don't know what's going on at the front.

Movie Connections:

References Suspiria (1977)

Facing the Guilty and Fear

In 1944, in the Belgian – German border, seven German soldiers survive an American attack in the front and lock themselves in a bunker to protect the position. Under siege by the enemy and with little ammunition, they decide to explore underground tunnels to seek supplies and find an escape route. While in the tunnel, weird things happen with the group.

I have recently seen the South Korean movie "R-Point" (2004), which efficiently explores the idea of "The Bunker" – scary and ambiguous journey to hell of the innermost fear of a group of soldiers, in an intelligent screenplay. Now I find that "The Bunker" is a 2001 movie, which has the originally of the concept, but unfortunately the confused screenplay does not work well. The acting is good, but the development of the plot could be better and better. For those viewers that also find that something is missing in the story, I strongly suggest seeing "R-Point" for comparison of what "The Bunker" could have been with some improvements. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "The Bunker – Em Guerra Contra o Medo" ("The Bunker – In War against the Fear")