User Reviews

I saw this film at the Seattle Film Festival in 1999 where it ran to full houses under the title: "THE LITTLE GIRL WHO FELL FROM A TREE", in German with subtitles. I'm really stunned that this terrific independent film has never been released on video. It went over big at the Seattle Film Festival and had a very good review in the Seattle Times. Part of the problem might be that it's in German, but I also think some people just didn't understand how brilliantly Michael Bartlett was playing in Germany with this otherwise very familiar American genre. There were many times, especially after the film's wonderfully edgy, David Lynch-like beginning, that I thought I'd seen all this somewhere before, but then it starts to creep up on you and you begin to realize that those blatant Hollywood clichés and similarities are there only to manipulate you into thinking you know what's going on and where ultimately all this is headed, which believe me, you don't. The film becomes consistently darker with many perfectly captured twists and turns before reaching its shocking (at least by Hollywood standards) climax. I recognized the male lead as one of the actors from another great film: STALINGRAD. He's good here too, but this film is all about the women, both hot in their own way.

It's always a treat to see a good foreign movie from Europe, with English subtitles, here in America. This one certainly delivers!! A catchy story that holds the audience's attention from beginning to end. Some local scenery and flavor -- of a pretty, historic Berlin neighborhood and the countryside outside of Berlin. Good acting. A very attractive set and decor -- visually appealing. Good usage of catchy and appropriate music at strategic times. A clever, thrilling story. Hope that this film gets more exposure and distribution here in America, as it so deserves -- it obviously went over big in Germany. Really good coordination of a lot of talent here!! The director really knows his stuff.

I remember the press and strong reviews that greeted Paul Verhoeven's film The Fourth Man way back in 1983, and it makes me wonder what's wrong with today's studios... Why is Verhoeven making trash like Showgirls and Hollow Man with Hollywood's blessing when this film remains stubbornly unavailable on DVD?

The lead actors are excellent (and the women are stunning!). In an age when we're lucky if films tell any kind of story, this film has subtext and intrigue for days - a delightfully twisty thrill ride with suspense and surprise in equal measure.

It would be sad if we see the inevitable American adaptation (ala The Ring, Dark Water, etc.) before this film is allowed to find its audience.

I came here looking for a place to buy this wonderful German thriller and see that it is not available anywhere yet! No wonder it has so few votes.I saw the Little Girl Who Fell From the Tree at the WorldFest Houston (twice) where it also won the Gold Award in its category (but not listed here -- why?)I'm giving it a rating of ten, not because I think it's the greatest movie ever, but because like the judges in Houston, I think within its femme fatal category it is much better than most of them out there and that includes Fatal Attraction. (One of the lead actors could be Natassia Kinsky's double!) The director showed a truly mature sense of style in telling a serious story of true love and betrayal. The images are special throughout, especially the very beginning and end. I saw it twice because the subtitles were a little distracting the first time and kept me from enjoying the directors's attention to detail and images that I so enjoy. It is really crazy that the director hasn't made his film available to the public yet. If anyone knows where I can buy it, I wish they'd post it here.

excellent and clever story, good actors, high factor of suspense. the movie is worth being watched with full attention to get all the details. Since the movie changes sometimes between times and places it is worth to see it twice or three times; you might not get all details at a first glance. most enjoyable for me was the scene with the stolen suitcase and what is in it... (no, I will not tell here - please watch the film). The director obviously likes trees. There are some remarkable moments explaining the childhood of the main female character where she seeks shelter on a big tree, while her father is calling for her. The dialogues are very realistic. I also enjoyed the music, that fits well to the dark atmosphere. In some ways, the movie reminds me of a modern hitchcock version.

Does someone know why this movie has so many titles? "The Little Girl Who Fell From the Tree" is clearly the superior one. I got out my German dictionary and figured out that "Ein Toedliches Verhaeltnis" translates into "A Deadly Affair". Maybe that's okay for an episode of "Murder She Wrote", but it certainly doesn't live up to the classiness displayed on screen throughout this very superior and suspenseful German thriller. I'm a huge fan of this genre, "The Black Widow", "Fatal Attraction", etc., and this one is clearly a cut above the others. This director makes no secret of his obsession with Master Hitchcock and thoroughly understands how to integrate music as an active member of the narrative. I highly recommend this film (if you can find it!) to anyone who thinks they've already seen everything the femme fatal genre has to offer. Gorgeously filmed.

Aka "THE LITTLE GIRL WHO FELL FROM A TREE", this is a terrific German indie thriller. It won AFI's best editing award at the '98 AFI film festival in LA where I saw it and I hope it's released in the USA sometime soon. Camera is very stylized with fine performances all around. The soundtrack is very effective too, which shouldn't surprise anyone because the director, Michael Bartlett, studied at Juilliard before moving to Europe. I read somewhere about another indie film he made, his first I think, titled "Concerto for the Right Hand", but I haven't seen it around. Otherwise, this is a film really worth seeking out even if it is in German.

The movie gets a ten, marketing and distribution a zero! We saw this at the Flagstaff Worldfest where it won a prize and we've been waiting ever since to see it again on DVD. What happened, did they lose the negative, or do they think we're too dumb over here to read uppers and downers (subtitles)? This guy really knows his Hitchcock and has a truly exceptional gift for timing and music. No lack of dark humor here either. A tight script and stunning direction equals a terrifically put together thriller, and the kind of film rarely seen from Germany. Believe it or not, no Nazis, no death camps. Maybe that's why it hasn't made it over here yet. Doesn't make any sense otherwise. Oh, and did I mention the acting? Top notch.

This is an excellent thriller. Both my wife and I were very pleasantly surprised at how engaging the film actually was and how it kept us guessing almost to the end of the film. The success of the film lies squarely in the hands of Screenwriter/Director Michael Bartlett who does a brilliant job with creating an atmosphere of creeping uneasiness. It is also clear that the film was built on top of a solid script. My only gripe, albeit a small one, is that I felt that the film could have been condensed in places or edited differently as there seemed to be many repetitive shots that didn't add anything to the story. I too am really surprised that this film is not out on DVD yet or that a U.S. remake of the film has not been attempted. This is a keeper.

If you're into this genre, Hitchcock, DePalma, etc., this is one thriller definitely worth seeking out. I wish someone out there could clue us all in as to why this edgy-sexy film has never been available anywhere! Too much violence? Hardly. Mine, alas, is a bootlegged subtitled copy, but I hope that changes and we can soon see more from this extremely talented American director. That's right, not German. The soundtrack has some nice Bernard Herrmann-like moments, touching on everything from rock, pop, jazz, and even some classical. It's really rare to see a German film working this genre and then so stylized, so perfectly captured by all concerned. A real treat.