Before the Fall

"Men make history. We make the men."

2004 1h 57m DE

👍

7.1

SOLID

🍅

67%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 381🍅67%Rotten Tomatoes●65Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 19,381

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1942, Friedrich Weimer's boxing skills get him an appointment to a National Political Academy (NaPolA) – high schools that produce Nazi elite. Over his father's objections, Friedrich enrolls. During his year in seventh column, Friedrich encounters hazing, cruelty, death, and the Nazi code. His friendship with Albrecht, the ascetic son of the area's governor, is central to this education.

“Men make history. We make the men.”

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Cast

Max Riemelt
Friedrich Weimer
Tom Schilling
Albrecht Stein
Devid Striesow
Heinrich Vogler
Joachim Bißmeier
Karl Klein
Justus von Dohnányi
Heinrich Stein
Michael Schenk
Josef Peiner
Florian Stetter
Justus von Jaucher
Alexander Held
Friedrich's Father

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dennis Gansel
Writers: Dennis Gansel, Maggie Peren
Languages: German, Portuguese
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

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 84% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Portuguese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dennis Gansel, shot by Torsten Breuer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Max Riemelt and Tom Schilling and Devid Striesow carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dennis Gansel directs. Torsten Breuer behind the camera. Angelo Badalamenti scores. Jochen Retter cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German, Portuguese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 84% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 22 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Portuguese.
5Directed by Dennis Gansel, shot by Torsten Breuer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Angelo Badalamenti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jochen Retter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Max Riemelt and Tom Schilling and Devid Striesow carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Men make history. We make the men.".
10IMDB entry: tt0384369 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.