Reviews

A love story during the Second World War in Scandinavia. Ann Mari, a Norwegian, works as a nurse in the Winter War of 1939/40 between Finland and the Soviet Union. She falls in love with the Finish soldier Markus. The war stops temporarily, and they settle down in northern Norway. Norway gets occupied by Germany and Markus leaves Ann Mari, as Finland goes to war again to win back the lost territory. A short time later Markus seems to be dead and Ann Mari falls in love with the German soldier Maximilian. But Markus soon returns alive. After a struggle for Ann Mari they three take refuge from the Germans to Sweden, but Sweden deports foreign deserters.

Great, great movie. Thomas Kretschmann made this movie about the same year he made "Stalingrad". Gorgeous and talented actor.

The Sea-Wolf is a novel written in 1904 by American author Jack London. An immediate bestseller, the first printing of forty thousand copies was sold out before publication. Of it, Ambrose Bierce wrote "The great thing—and it is among the greatest of things—is that tremendous creation, Wolf Larsen... the hewing out and setting up of such a figure is enough for a man to do in one lifetime." The Sea Wolf tells the story of a soft, domesticated protagonist, in this novel's case an intellectual man named Humphrey van Weyden, forced to become tough and self-reliant by exposure to cruelty and brutality. The story starts with him onboard a San Francisco ferry, called Martinez, which collides with another ship in the fog and sinks. He is set adrift in the sea, eventually being picked up ("rescued" is not the right word) by Wolf Larsen. Larsen is the captain of the seal-hunting schooner Ghost. Brutal and cynical, yet also highly intelligent and intellectual (though highly biased in his opinions as he was self-taught), he rules over his ship and terrorizes the crew with the aid of his exceptionally great physical strength. Van Weyden adequately describes him as an individualist, a hedonist, and a materialist. As Larsen does not believe in the immortality of the soul, he finds no meaning in his life save survival and pleasure and has come to despise all human life and deny its value. Being interested in someone capable of intellectual disputes, he somewhat takes care of "Hump" while forcing him to become a cabin boy, do menial work, and learn to fight to protect himself from a brutal crew.

Thomas Kretschmann gave one of his best performances of his career. Love it!!!!

I never read the novel, but you don't need a high IQ to follow the storyline and the message this movie conveys. So I don't understand some of the whiny comments about "confusing". Go back to your cartoons. While we are bombarded with fast-paced, foul-mouthed and nerve-ripping action movies left and right, this movie is a breadth of fresh air like in the lush green Peruvian rainforest! A movie experience should not only grab your eyes but also penetrate your brains.All the actors are wonderful in this movie, however, the ones who stand out are Annabelle Gish and Thomas Kretschmann. There's incredible chemistry between those two. Matthew Settle did an excellent job, too. After seeing this movie, I now want to read the book.

Nicholas Cage didn't carry the movie too well, to say the least. His Chris Johnson character is pretty one dimensional. If it's not for the special super-human cogging ability to make this character interesting, his performance was totally wooden and what about his hair style? Jessica Biel and Julianne Moore are both at most OK for their performances. On the other hand, you can't keep your eyes off Thomas Kretschmann. This German actor has the animal magnetism few American actors possessed. Watching him is like watching a leopard laying in wait. He played his characters with a sophisticated undertone which is, eventually more delicious and unforgettable than the pathetic Nicholas Cage character.

Karl Adolf Eichmann ("the architect of the Holocaust"), was a Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer (equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel). Because of his organizational talents and ideological reliability, he was charged by Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich with the task of facilitating and managing the logistics of mass deportation of Jews to ghettos and extermination camps in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe.

After the war, he travelled to Argentina using a fraudulently obtained laissez-passer issued by the International Red Cross[2][3] and lived there under a false identity working for Mercedes-Benz until 1960. He was captured by Israeli Mossad operatives in Argentina and tried in an Israeli court on 15 criminal charges, including crimes against humanity and war crimes. He was convicted and hanged in 1962.

Thomas Kretschmann gave a very convincing and impressive performance in this movie. However, I wish not to see him playing any more Mazi roles in the future. This immensely gifted actor was trapped in the stereotype and bypassed for other complex and great roles.

Great movie about a great man. Thomas Kretschmann is first rate as in all of his other movies.I would never have envisioned him as Pope John Paul. It speaks volumes for the casting director. Why do they keep casting him as German officer in the movies? And he only came to universal attention after "the pianist"? Of course he looks so hot in the uniforms. I know a lot of girls drool over his handsome face. But this guy is a great actor and has such great potentials. If you don't believe me, go watch "Stalingrad". I hope he will get a lot of excellent roles in the future with more diversity. Otherwise, what a heartbreaking waste of great talent.