Sapphire blue (film)

Movie
Original title	Sapphire blue
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	2014
length	116 minutes
Age rating	FSK 6
Rod
Director	Felix Fuchssteiner , ; Katharina Schöde
script	Katharina Schöde
music	Philipp F. Koelmel
camera	Sonja Rome
cut	Wolfgang Weigl
occupation
	Maria Ehrich : Gwendolyn Shepherd; Jannis Niewöhner : Gideon de Villiers; Rufus Beck (voice): Xemerius, talking gargoyle; Kostja Ullmann : School spirit James Pimplebottom; Bastian Trost : Lucas Montrose, young; Lion Wasczyk : Raphael de Villiers; Peter Simonischek : Count of St. Germain; Johannes Silberschneider : Mr. Bernhard, butler; Josefine Preuss : Lucy Montrose; Florian Bartholomäi : Paul de Villiers; Veronica Ferres : Grace Shepherd; Laura Berlin : Charlotte Montrose; Jennifer Lotsi : Leslie Hay; Justine del Corte : Madame Rossini; Katharina Thalbach : Madeleine "Maddy" Montrose; Sibylle Canonica : Glenda Montrose; Johannes von Matuschka : Mr. Whitman; Levin Henning : Nick Shepherd; Oscar Ortega Sánchez : Lord Alastair; Rolf Kanies : William de Villiers; Christine Zart : midwife; Rüdiger Vogler : Mr. George; Uwe Kockisch : Falk de Villiers; Sandra Borgmann : Lady Lavinia; Butz Ulrich Buse : Miro Rakoczy;
chronology
← Predecessor ; ruby red	Successor → ; emerald green

Saphirblau is a German feature film from 2014 by director Felix Fuchssteiner , which opened in German cinemas on August 14, 2014. The fantasy film is based on the second part of the trilogy Love Goes Through All Times by Kerstin Gier and is the sequel to Rubinrot (2013). The third and last part of the trilogy is emerald green (2016).

action

The film begins in 1609, when Lucy and Paul attend a performance by William Shakespeare at The Black Swan pub . Then watch the 18th century Count of Saint Germain kill his ancestor Lancelot de Villiers ( Amber ) - his family's first time traveler. The latter had threatened to destroy the chronograph.

Gwen finds out in the present day that Lady Tilney had a visit from Lucy and Paul in Hyde Park in 1912 . With the help of Mr. George, she travels there with Gideon. Lucy tells her that she and Paul stole the chronograph to protect Gwen. A special power would be created when the bloodstream was closed, and their blood could complete that cycle. Lucy and Paul promise Gwen to hide the chronograph in a safe place in their time, i.e. the present. Gwen should find the green rider, he would lead her to the chronograph. When asked by Gwen, Lucy replies that she should ask her grandfather Lucas.

Back in the present, the two find themselves in a church. Gwen raves about having his own chronograph as it would mean freedom from the lodge. Gideon doesn't trust Lucy and Paul and thinks they are afraid of the change brought about by the revolutionary new world order the Count is trying to create. As the two kiss, Gwen notices the talking gargoyle Xemerius. He is happy that Gwen is the first person since the Middle Ages to see him, but remains behind in the church.

In the present, the inner circle of the lodge meets while Gwen is picked up by Mr. Whitman, who is now in charge of her time travel. Xemerius shows up and explains to her that he has to stay with her because she can see him. The journey through time leads to 1953, where she meets her grandfather Lucas at the age of 34, to whom the green rider says nothing. However, he promises to think about it until Gwen comes to visit him again in a few years.

Gideon's uncle, William de Villiers, has come from Asia because the rules of the lodge have been violated several times and the Ruby's life has been endangered. He worries about Gideon, warns him of feelings and Gwen's bad influence. Gideon learns that his brother Raphael is coming to London. Gideon Gwen later said that when he visited her through the window in her room, he had lived with his mother in France since the age of 12. You are caught by Gwen's mother. Gideon goes home. Gwen's mother warns her not to trust Gideon more than herself. Later, Aunt Maddy sleepwalked in Gwen's room and told her to take care of her heart.

Gideon travels to 1783 to ask the Count about the prophecy about the ruby. He learns from one of his helpers that the Florentine Alliance has stolen the Count's memoire . The Count tells Gideon that the role assigned to Ruby is to serve the Count and his cause. He encourages Gideon to adventure with multiple women, not just Gwen. Gideon should find it easy to win their hearts. He invites them to a soirée . Gideon should flatter her and impress her, then she would be wax in his hands.

The Lodge hires Charlotte to prepare Gwen for the event. This shows Gwen, the "deep bond" between her and Gideon as the two dance together. In 1950, when Gideon and Gwen meet for a rendezvous, the two dance before Gideon seduces Gwen. Back in the present, Gideon meets his brother Raphael and no longer cares about Gwen. After Gwen tells her friend Leslie about the first time, butler Bernhard finds the green rider. As Leslie found out, this is a book.

Gideon is sent to 1912 to draw blood for the chronograph from Margret Tilney. William warns that he might run into Lucy and Paul, who in turn would try to draw blood from him for their own chronograph. Once there, Gideon sees Gwen hugging Paul. He warns her that he only wants her blood, but is knocked down before he can reach her. Gideon doesn't tell William that he saw Gwen.

Gwen visits her grandfather in 1955. As he promised her last time, there is a key in the wall clock so that Gwen can leave the locked room and come to his office with his message. In the meantime he has also been visited by Lucy and Paul and tells her about the fact that the count murdered his great-great-grandfather in front of her. They also said that the ruby will decide whether the count will succeed in implementing his plan.

Back in the present, she meets Gideon and Mr. Whitman. Gideon refuses to tell her about his mission. For her part, she does not tell him why she smells like the smoke from the cigars that her grandfather's boss had blown in her face in 1955.

In the meantime, Leslie has tried unsuccessfully to decipher the code that Lucy’s grandfather wrote in the Green Rider after 1955 . Raphael, their new crush, suggests it could be coordinates. He's meeting Leslie.

Gideon meets with Gwen in 1955. He found out about Gwen's visit in 1955 in the Annals of the Lodge and asked her how she was able to leave the room. He is also angry because, in his opinion, she had him knocked down in 1912 and she hugged Paul. He says that Paul is only interested in Gwen's blood and refuses to reveal the reason for his 1912 visit. Both quarrel with suspicion and separate.

In the present, Gideon is eating with Raphael and Charlotte at the Black Swan. Charlotte tells him that Gwen is easy to come by at school, especially after drinking excessively. Raphael wants to know if Leslie also drinks alcohol. She is now with the crying Gwen in her room and tells her that she and Raphael found out that the first part of the book code actually consists of coordinates and that these lead to the house where Gwen lives. Together they decipher the second part and, with the help of Xemerius, find a secret room behind a wall in which there is an old chest. You decide to rescue her as soon as the family is out of the house.

At the soirée in 1783, the Count penetrated Gwen's thoughts again and proudly reported to Gideon that she was madly in love with him. Now he should make sure that it serves his cause entirely. After Gideon has performed a piece on the violin at the request of an admirer, the singing, drunk Gwen teaches the guests the time warp and is supported by Gideon with piano and vocals towards the end. Society is attacked by the alliance. Gwen recalls Leslie telling her that the Alliance is afraid of the Time Travelers because they believe they have diabolical powers and want to be equal to God. After Gideon's fencing skills are not enough to win, Gwen manages to use a cosmetic spray can and a candle to make the Alliance escape, assuming that she is a witch.

After Leslie and Bernhard woke Gwen with strong coffee, they and Aunt Maddy get the chest out of the hiding place. Inside is Lucy and Paul's chronograph, which contains all the drops of blood except for Gwen and Gideon's. In a letter, Lucy writes that Gwen should defend the chronograph with her life, since that's what is at stake. She goes on to say that she and Paul always went to Holy Trinity Church on Sundays . Gwen and Leslie go there with the chronograph.

Gwen travels to 1912, where she meets Paul in front of the church the moment Gideon arrives there and is knocked down by Paul's assistant. Paul and Lucy confess to Gwen that she is their daughter and that they have given her to Grace as a surrogate mother after the birth. Nobody should find out that she is their daughter, as the two believe that as the child of two time travelers, she is more powerful than the count himself and able to stop him. This tries through the lodge to usurp world domination. Paul plans to travel after 1783 to meet with the Alliance. He wants to get the memoire to find out the count's exact plans.

Gwen returns and finds herself in the Black Swan, which is closed, however. Gideon, who heard how William and Mr. Whitman tortured Gwen's midwife and also found out about their mother, rescues her and brings her home. He says she can't get rid of him. When asked if he will tell the lodge about the chronograph, he asks what she thinks and drives off.

The lodge vows to direct Gwen's life and sends her with Gideon to the Count after 1783. Gideon confesses his feelings to her and wants to work with her without secrets, since he considers them both unbeatable as a team. The Count sends Gideon away and tells Gwen that Gideon did a very good job of making her fall in love with him. He believes that a woman in love is easier to control and that her life is in his hands.

Gwen runs away, meets Gideon with bloodied hands, who says he got caught in something. She confronts him. He confesses his mission to make her in love. She jumps back. Bernhard has hidden the chronograph and gives her a photo from the 1920s that shows her and Gideon. Since she doesn't remember it, this journey through time lies ahead of her.

In 1783, Paul meets with the Alliance. He exchanges the memo for all known information about the lodge. The lodge representative refuses to swear to use the information only against the count himself and not against the gene carriers. Paul refuses to hand over the note and is attacked. Gideon comes to his aid. Paul asks Gideon if he truly loves Gwen and will fight with her. When the latter answers in the affirmative, Paul gives him the memoire, tells him to read it and jumps back.

Production background

development

Shortly after completing the first part, the script for the second was written. However, official confirmation was not given for a long time, as the prescribed target of 500,000 visitors was not achieved. In September 2013 the production of the second part was officially announced. In addition to the two main actors Maria Ehrich and Jannis Niewöhner , Lion Wasczyk joined them in the role of Raphael de Villiers and Bastian Trost as the young Lucas Montrose . The talking gargoyle Xemerius was dubbed by Rufus Beck .

Filming

Ballroom in Tenneberg Castle

Shooting began on October 7, 2013 in Tenneberg Castle in Waltershausen, whose baroque rooms , including the restored ballroom, represented the premises of Count St. Germain. Filming continued until the beginning of December.

On October 9th, the recordings began on the Coburg Palace Square as a backdrop for St. Lennox College. Ketschendorf Castle was rebuilt as the Shepherd family's residence.

On October 18, 2013, filming took place in the ballroom of the Wartburg near Eisenach , and from October 22, 2013, filming took place for three days in the Mühlhausen town hall , whose historic walls served as the premises of the secret box. From November 15, the film was shot at the Decksteiner Weiher in Cologne, which was again used as a motif for the historic Hyde Park .

Aachen once again served as a backdrop for historic London, where the film was shot from November 16 to December 1, 2013. Occasionally, a restaurant on Franzstrasse was converted into a café from 1955, where Gwen had a coffee with her young grandfather. The church in Kornelimünster was again the scene of the protagonists' time leaps, the London scenes from 1782 were moved to Stolberg .

reception

The reviews of the film varied. For example, Filmdienst praised the fact that Saphirblau provides good answers to the needs of the target group within its possibilities.

"Rapidly amusing time travel fantasy adventure that credibly responds to the interests and needs of the young target group and cleverly juggles its staging possibilities and limits."

- film service

Epd Film judged more critically : In contrast to US franchises with a comparable target group such as The Determination - Divergent or Panem, the main characters and plot are lacking in depth, concentration and substance. A lack of financial and artistic resources are responsible for this.

“The follow-up work to Rubinrot based on the novel trilogy by Kerstin Gier zaps unfocused through the centuries in search of original show values, without being able to develop the necessary narrative pull. [...] It rarely happens to one that one wishes for the Hollywood version of what one is currently seeing on the screen, but in sapphire blue this longing is a constant companion. "

- Martin Schwickert, epd film

The performers in the film at the premiere

Saphirblau received the rating “valuable” from the Wiesbaden film evaluation office . In the press release it is stated that the film “impresses with its high show values, opulent furnishings, magnificent interiors and perfect costumes and masks”. The "emotional issues of the adolescents are skillfully placed in the foreground". Maria Ehrich and Jannis Niewöhner in the main roles as well as the soundtrack and the visual effects were also praised.

Gross profit

The film had around 540,000 viewers and grossed 3.8 million euros.

Trivia

In a film scene, Gwendolyn and Gideon visit Lucy and Paul in Hyde Park in 1912 and have to ride a long detour because the bridge over the lake The Serpentine has not yet been built. In fact, the "Serpentine Bridge" was built in the 1820s.

When Paul and Lucy saw William Shakespeare reciting his texts in a tavern in 1609 , Lucy was certain that the poet was working on Romeo and Juliet . In fact, this play is one of the early works of Shakespeare and was released as early as 1597, over ten years before the film opened.

The film soundtrack by Philipp F. Kölmel and some pop songs by the Backstreet Boys and Nick Howard among others reached number 85 in the German album charts in August 2014 .