The Free Will

2006 2h 43m DE

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 60

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After nine years in psychiatric detention Theo, who has brutally assaulted and raped three women, is released. Living in a supervised community, he connects well with his social worker Sascha, finds a job at a print shop and even a girlfriend, Nettie, his principal's brittle and estranged daughter. But even though superficially everything seems to work out Theo's seething rage remains ready to erupt.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Jürgen Vogel
Theo
Sabine Timoteo
Nettie
André Hennicke
Sascha
Manfred Zapatka
Nettie's father
Judith Engel
Anja Schattschneider
Maya Bothe
Sybille
Anna Brass
Raped woman in the dunes
Anne-Kathrin Golinsky
Seller in department store

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Matthias Glasner
Writers: Jürgen Vogel, Matthias Glasner, Judith Angerbauer
Languages: French, 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

Clocks in at 163 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Matthias Glasner, shot by Ingo Scheel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jürgen Vogel and Sabine Timoteo and André Hennicke carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0499101 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 60 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Matthias Glasner directs. Ingo Scheel behind the camera. Julia Wiedwald cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in French, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 163 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2Released 20 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, German.
4Directed by Matthias Glasner, shot by Ingo Scheel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Julia Wiedwald shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jürgen Vogel and Sabine Timoteo and André Hennicke carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0499101 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 60 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ingo Scheel
Editing: Julia Wiedwald
Production design: Tom Hornig
Costume design: Sabine Keller
Runtime: 163 min · 2h 43m
Status: Released
Original language: DE
IMDB: The Free Will (2006)

Also by

Matthias Glasner

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

cineast782024-11-12
★ 8/10
Courage to Tell Without Judging For those who can engage with a story where the creators have the courage to depict people without dividing their actions into what they "should" or "should not" do, without constantly playing the role of judge, and instead focusing on the subjective experience of these individuals, this film comes highly recommended. It is not a "beautiful" film. There are no simple answers. But the emotions and experiences of the people involved are portrayed in a way that is intense, unfiltered, and realistic. So honest and raw that it hurts. For everyone else, colorful Disney films are recommended. In those, there is always a "good" and a "bad," and everyone gets what they deserve according to the unrelenting moral judgment of the story. Sadly, the reviews from the "morally superior" will likely be just as negative for Glasner's new film, as "grace" in their view is only reserved for the "good" ones...

Production companies