King of Germany (film)

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Movie
Original title King of Germany
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 2013
length 97 minutes
Rod
Director David Dietl
script David Dietl
production Alexander and Manuel Bickenbach ,
Khaled Kaissar
music Francesco Wilking ,
Patrick Reising
camera Felix Novo de Oliveira
cut Robert Rzesacz
occupation

König von Deutschland is a German movie by director and screenwriter David Dietl from 2013. The social satire is about Thomas Müller, a completely average guy who one day breaks out of the crowd and grows beyond his own limits. The film celebrated its world premiere on July 3, 2013 at the Munich Film Festival and was released in German cinemas on September 5, 2013.

action

Thomas Müller is the average resident of Germany as it stands: 46 years old, married to Sabine, father of Alexander, employee with average earnings, lives for rent, fan of the football club in his hometown Normsen and Bayern Munich. He likes to watch the TV quiz show "King of Germany". Candidates there guess what the majority of Germans will answer to a question in order to win money.

This is exactly the person who a market research institute is looking for. Through an employee disguised as a census officer, they find out that Müller is average in all the categories asked. In order to win him over to your surveys, his e-mail account is taken over and an embarrassing picture is sent to his work colleagues. His lack of insight into apologizing for the email earned him resignation. Because he is then urged by his wife - without her knowing about the termination - to finally sign the construction contract for a home, he wants to throw himself off a bridge.

However, he is rescued by market research manager Stefan Schmidt and encouraged to introduce himself to his company "Industries unlimited". There, final examinations are made, which show that he is actually incredibly average with what he is hired. Without knowing what he actually has to do, new products come on the market that meet his expectations and even Kurt Knister, the top candidate of a fictional party, changes his election campaign.

Over time, his son Alexander becomes suspicious because he finds out that smoke alarms have only recently been installed in their apartment, which he suspects cameras are in, and because he observes that Thomas is constantly being followed by two guards at a safe distance. He claims to have identified both of them as the installers of the smoke alarms. After Thomas was convinced by Alexander and learned by the way that his wife has a lover, he changes his behavior and becomes extraordinary. He eats vegan, finds out about politics, listens to his son's music and goes on excursions with his new girlfriend Ute. Since he is now rarely at work and in the course of his new attitude towards life no longer has his cell phone with him, Schmidt becomes suspicious. He makes an appointment with Sabine to take him prisoner. She agrees, as she is promised a house in return.

Ultimately, Thomas promises to cooperate again if his wish to take part in the program "King of Germany" is fulfilled. With the help of Alexander and his girlfriend Mira, he escapes from there, lets Schmidt's car fall down the bridge and goes to Mongolia with Ute. On the sidelines of Thomas' funeral, Schmidt is praised by his client. Although Schmidt thinks that he cannot win the election without Thomas, he is asked to simply find the next average guy.

background

SRH University of Applied Sciences for Health Gera : Location for the headquarters of "Industries Unlimited"

The film, made by Frisbeefilms in coproduction with the small television game of ZDF, Kaissar Film, the German Film and Television Academy Berlin and Arte , was shot in Gera , Erfurt and the surrounding area. The Müller's apartment was built in the STUDIOPARK KinderMedienZentrum . The film was funded by the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung , the Filmförderungsanstalt , the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg , the Nordmedia Fund and the German Film Fund . Olli Dittrich can be seen in the main role . Veronica Ferres , Wanja Mues , Katrin Bauerfeind , Jonas Nay , Jella Haase and Stephan Grossmann have other roles.

reception

The film received the rating "valuable" from the German Film and Media Assessment (FBW) . In the statement of the jury it is said that the film treats "as satire precisely those topics that are topical over and over again, but seldom were so politically explosive". The merit of the film is that it "takes its characters seriously and does not over-staged them unbearably". However, the fact that "the film ends in personal wish fulfillment and not in political rebellion" was criticized. However, it seems logical that "the average German does not suddenly jump over his shadow". Deutschlandradio Kultur saw “entertaining thoughts and figures” with “manageable, clear, but always ticklish broadsides”. The theatrical performance of Olli Dittrich was particularly emphasized, who immersed himself in his parade figure, "to denounce the ordinary, 'lovely' Deutschtümler without making this ridiculous".

The film-dienst described the film as a "cabaret comedy that shrinks from the depths of its subject". The film initiates a large number of discourses without pursuing them any further. The lack of "shrill sounds that would have turned the explosive material into more than just humorous entertainment" was criticized. Die Zeit , who rated the film as “not even mediocre” , saw it similarly . The story would have "nothing surprising, at any point, no gags, no tension". The film magazine Cinema found the idea of ​​the film "good, the implementation less successful". Especially in the second half of the film, the joke lacks “satirical sharpness”.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ King of Germany. German Film and Media Rating (FBW) , accessed on September 18, 2014 .
  2. ^ Hans-Ulrich Pönack: King of Germany. Movie of the week. Deutschlandradio Kultur , September 4, 2013, accessed on September 18, 2014 .
  3. ↑ King of Germany. film-dienst , accessed on September 18, 2014 (short review).
  4. ↑ Kilian Trotier: Olli Dittrich is below average as an average citizen. Die Zeit , September 3, 2013, accessed on September 18, 2014 .
  5. ↑ King of Germany. Cinema , accessed September 18, 2014 .