"Otomo" is a German film from 1999, so this one will have its 20th anniversary soon and it is among the more known works by writer and director Frieder Schlaich. You could think that one of the reasons to watch this movie is the reference to actual events, but that is in fact the reason why you should not watch it. As it says during the credits, it is unknown what really happened between the subway incident and the bridge tragedy and what Schlaich offers us in here is admittedly a bad joke. A hostage/blackmail situation in which he starts making out eventually with his "hostage" played by Eva Mattes, the most known cast member for sure? Are you kidding me? Honestly everything about Mattes character here really was a failure. The initially scared reaction despite her background and connection with Africa. The fact how the two become friends almost and she takes him home with her. And finally the kissing/funeral scene. I am sure people will not be hesitant to call the mother a racist, but I think she was the exact opposite, namely a caring parent who reacted perfectly accurate in a dangerous situation.
In general, the ways in which the film depicts Otomo as a victim are fairly cringeworthy. Every character except Mattes' is really treated as if they were racists with the way they look at Otomo and how they behave in his company. Talk about pressing guilt on us audiences. The goal was of course that we forgive Otomo for breaking a man's nose, for robbing a grandmother, for taking a little girl hostage, for stabbing several police officers killing two of them. Oh yeah what a victim. Regardless of if he had a valid ticket or not, how about he could have joined the officers early on as he must have seen the woman was not against him. This is not a Michael Kohlhaas story. This is the story of a violent and dangerous offender who is the only one to blame for what happened to him, even if the film tries so hard to convince us otherwise, also with how he is shot in the back at the very end trying to run away, which apparently also had nothing to do with the facts on that tragic day. Such cowards these policemen no? Back to the movie itself, it is really nothing to be proud of as it has absolutely nothing to do with reality despite claiming to be based on actual events. The only thing it does is impress the easily entertained and provoke people into thinking without any kind of justification how racist Germans still are today. This is the stuff that keeps racism alive these days. And even if it was relatively short at 80 minutes only, I suggest you stay far away from this movie. Huge thumbs-down and I highly recommend not to watch it. Sad to see to which level Mattes has fallen after working with Fassbinder and Herzog before.
In general, the ways in which the film depicts Otomo as a victim are fairly cringeworthy. Every character except Mattes' is really treated as if they were racists with the way they look at Otomo and how they behave in his company. Talk about pressing guilt on us audiences. The goal was of course that we forgive Otomo for breaking a man's nose, for robbing a grandmother, for taking a little girl hostage, for stabbing several police officers killing two of them. Oh yeah what a victim. Regardless of if he had a valid ticket or not, how about he could have joined the officers early on as he must have seen the woman was not against him. This is not a Michael Kohlhaas story. This is the story of a violent and dangerous offender who is the only one to blame for what happened to him, even if the film tries so hard to convince us otherwise, also with how he is shot in the back at the very end trying to run away, which apparently also had nothing to do with the facts on that tragic day. Such cowards these policemen no? Back to the movie itself, it is really nothing to be proud of as it has absolutely nothing to do with reality despite claiming to be based on actual events. The only thing it does is impress the easily entertained and provoke people into thinking without any kind of justification how racist Germans still are today. This is the stuff that keeps racism alive these days. And even if it was relatively short at 80 minutes only, I suggest you stay far away from this movie. Huge thumbs-down and I highly recommend not to watch it. Sad to see to which level Mattes has fallen after working with Fassbinder and Herzog before.