The Polar Bear

1998 1h 30m DE

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 43

ActionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Four characters become involved in one dramatic story: Nico has a mission to drive a car containing a live bomb to a specified destination, park the car and escape as quickly as she can. Leo has become his client's target, having carried out a "contract" that unfortunately had already been cancelled. Fabian and Reza want to enjoy themselves without any money, bringing themselves into contact sooner or later with the police. Sooner or later all four will meet up in dramatic circumstances....

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Til Schweiger
Leo
Karina Krawczyk
Nico
Benno Fürmann
Fabian
Florian Lukas
Reza
Jürgen Tarrach
Manni
Ralf Richter
Zivilpolizist
Thierry van Werveke
Norbert
Ralph Herforth
Zivilpolizist

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Granz Henman
Languages: German
Countries: Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Granz Henman, shot by Greg Littlewood. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Klaus Badelt. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Alexander Berner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Til Schweiger and Karina Krawczyk and Benno Fürmann carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0167132 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Granz Henman directs. Greg Littlewood behind the camera. Klaus Badelt scores. Alexander Berner cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
228 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Granz Henman, shot by Greg Littlewood. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Klaus Badelt. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Alexander Berner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Til Schweiger and Karina Krawczyk and Benno Fürmann carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0167132 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.