PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR, THE
Released: April 27, 2001
Director Tom Tykwer, who wowed us in 1998 with his unconventional "Run Lola Run", reunites with that film's lead actress Franka Potente and gives us a visually charged epic that defies typical Hollywood formula. This German film brings together the Franka Potente character Sissi and Bodo, played by Benno Fürmann. How they unite is by a bizarre twist of events involving a traffic accident where Sissi is brutally run over by a big truck. Bodo intervenes seemingly without anyone else witnessing him and saves her life in a rather ingenious manner. Sissi and Bodo then share an odd series of interactions with each other and the interesting support players. Sissi works at a psychiatric hospital and we are not exposed to stereotypical nut case characters but rather we get deep, multi-demensional people. Same with Bodo's brother Walter played by Joachim Król. You really get the feeling Tykwer cares about his characters. They aren't merely backdrops to the action. The characters move in a slow, dreamlike manner and that extends to the deliberate restrained pacing of the film. But it all works. We are given a film that explores unusual universes that exist right within our very own world and it's really fascinating. Take the time to get into "The Princess And The Warrior". It's a really satisfying film viewing experience.
Sony Pictures Classics/Sony
133 Minutes