21/19
Twelve years later, after the escape, the professional criminal Trojan returns to Berlin. They want to steal a valuable painting in the city. But the carefully planned robbery soon goes out of control. Im Schatten (2010) follows. During the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, viewers were able to see how a professional criminal Trojan (Mizel MATICHEVICH) from IM SCHATTEN (2010) had to leave the capital for an indefinite period. The Trojan program still works in a similar way: it commits old-fashioned crimes, such as stealing material objects such as time, money and pictures. No connections with the mafia or clan structure, a lone fighter, only occasionally and by necessity in a team! When a coup in the Ruhr region does not go as planned, Troyan has to return to Berlin to reconnect with old contacts (Marie-Lou SELLEM). And indeed: together with three comrades (Tim Seifey, Marie LEUENBERGER, Bilge BINGHÃœL), Troyan manages to steal a valuable painting by Kaspar David FRIEDRICH. But then problems really begin with the mysterious client Victor (Alexander FELLING)… At the BERLINALE 2010 exhibition, the film IM SCHATTEN by a native of Braunschweig, Thomas ARSLAN, made the impression of a long-awaited genre bomb. An exciting genre film, shot in Germany, was told through the cinematographic means of the Berlin School. Extremely exciting, with rare dialogues and explosive violent moments! ARSLAN seemingly continues this smoothly with VERBRANNTE ERDE. Gangster films are still rare in German cinema. With stunning accuracy, the images of cameraman Reinhold WORSCHNEIDER (also IM SCHATTEN) tell about people living in a shadow version of Germany. Dark places, in the shadow of nearby attractions, but at the same time far from the perception of the police and ordinary people. Berlin acts as an accomplice and opponent of the film’s main characters. The restrained music of the Norwegian composer Ola FLOTTUM (“THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD”, 2021) contributes a lot to this tense atmosphere. It shows the capital that you know but don’t know. Many viewers will be able to recognize this urban development with all its roads by its surroundings. Ghostly places are very close to us: the scorched earth in the shadows! Mizel MATICHEVICH (BEFORE THE CRIME / BABYLON BERLIN) is again very convincing in the role of Troyan, whom we will probably see again (Thomas ARSLAN is planning a kind of Trojan trilogy). Nominee for the German Film Award Marie Lou SELLEM (nominated for the film “KNOCHEN UND NAMEN / BONES AND NAMES” in 2024) acts as an icy mediator. But the owner of the GERMAN FILM PREMIUM Alexander Fehling (2019 winner for the film “The End of the Truth”) is frighteningly good, and he really does not need to hide from classic villains such as Klaus KINSKI and Michael FASSBERSLAN. as much time with the third film in his Trojan trilogy as he did in the period from 2010 to 2024. It’s still exciting!