Der neunte Tag (2004)

Director:

Volker Schlöndorff

Writers:

Jean Bernard (memoir "Pfarrerblock 25487") and
Eberhard Görner (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

11 November 2004 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | War

Plot:

A drama loosely based on Jean Bernard's Nazi-era prison diary.

Plot Keywords:

Bishop | Catholic | Priest | SS | German

Awards:

5 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Ulrich Matthes	...	Abbé Henri Kremer
August Diehl	...	Untersturmführer Gebhardt
Hilmar Thate	...	Bischof Philippe
Bibiana Beglau	...	Marie Kremer
Germain Wagner	...	Roger Kremer
Jean-Paul Raths	...	Raymond Schmitt
Ivan Jirík	...	Armando Bausch
Karel Hromadka	...	Pater Laurant Koltz
Miroslav Sichmann	...	Pater Marcel Bour
Adolf Filip	...	Professor Klimek (Kraków)
Vladimir Fiser	...	Bischof Kozal
Peter Varga	...	Józef (Polish Inmate) (as Petr Varga)
Petr Janis	...	Pater Nansen
Zdenek Pechácek	...	Lagerführer
Václav Krátký	...	SS-Mann
Marcel Svidrman	...	Gestapomann (with Gebhardt)
Karel Dobrý	...	Raportführer Bertram
Götz Burger	...	Generalvikar Gerard Mersch
Michael König	...	Gauleiter Simon
Vladimir Gut	...	Kapo in Kleiderablage

Directed by
Volker Schlöndorff

Writing credits
Jean Bernard		(memoir "Pfarrerblock 25487")
Eberhard Görner		screenplay
Andreas Pflüger		screenplay

Produced by
Jürgen Haase	....	producer
Jakob Hausmann	....	producer
Wolfgang Plehn	....	executive producer
Milos Remen	....	executive producer
Jean-Claude Schlim	....	line producer: Luxembourg
Jean Vanolst	....	executive producer
Benigna von Keyserlingk	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Schnittke

Cinematography by
Tomas Erhart		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter R. Adam

Casting by
Ulrike Haase

Production Design by
Ari Hantke

Costume Design by
Jarmila Konecná

Makeup Department
Katka Horska	....	assistant makeup artist
Juraj Steiner	....	makeup artist
Tatiana Steinerova	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Franziska An der Gassen	....	unit manager (as Franziska-Marie Reinhardt)
Dirk Ehmen	....	production manager
Ivan Filus	....	production manager
Philip James Morgan	....	unit manager
Cornelia Schacht	....	assistant production chief
Jean-Claude Schlim	....	production manager
Jan Seidl	....	unit manager
Stephane Wasila	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michaela Strnadova	....	first assistant director
Irene Weigel	....	assistant director

Art Department
Klaus Bienen	....	construction coordinator
François Dickes	....	assistant art director
Olivier Printz	....	picture car coordinator: Luxembourg

Sound Department
Hubert Bartholomae	....	sound mixer
Pit Kuhlmann	....	sound designer
Andreas Musolff	....	sound editor
Philipp Sellier	....	foley editor
Gunnar Voigt	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Karsten Danch	....	assistant camera
Anngret Plehn	....	still photographer

Other crew
Franziska An der Gassen	....	location manager (as Franziska-Marie Reinhardt)
Patrick Hoffmann	....	production coordinator: Luxembourg
Dana Joas	....	script supervisor
Claude Ludovicy	....	location consultant
Jarka Rezniková	....	production secretary
Stephane Wasila	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Provobis Film
• Videopress S.A.
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)
• BeltFilm
• ARTE

Distributors

• Progress Film-Verleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• 791 Cine (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Kino International (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Imagem Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Imagem Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Kino Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Bontonfilm (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Film & Television Facilities  facility vehicles
• Location Consulting & Facilities  facilities vehicles
• Location Consulting & Facilities  location consulting

Also Known As:

"Devátý den" - Czech Republic
"Le neuvième jour" - Luxembourg (French title)
"The Ninth Day" - International (English title)
"A kilencedik nap" - Hungary
"Dziewiaty dzien" - Poland
"El noveno día" - Argentina (imdb display title)
"Le neuvième jour" - France (TV title)

Runtime:

98 min | Argentina:98 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Germany | Luxembourg | Czech Republic

Language:

German | French

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Hungary:14 | Czech Republic:12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Germany

Company:

Provobis Film

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the opening scene where the priests in the concentration camp celebrate Mass secretly, the celebrating priest gives the others Communion saying "Corpus Christi", with the communicant answering "Amen". But this is how Communion is done in the new Roman Rite (Novus Ordo), introduced in 1969/70. In the old Roman Rite (Tridentine Rite), that was used generally at the time the story takes place, the priest makes the sign of the Cross with the host over the paten and then says: "Corpus Domini Nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen." ("The Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ may lead your soul to eternal life.") Then he administers Communion. The communicant remains silent.

Soundtrack:

Frauen sind keine Engel

Another Impressive Example of the Powerful German Cinema

In World War II, after a period living hell on earth in the concentration camp of Dachau with other catholic priests, Father Abbé Henri Kremer (Ulrich Matthes) gets a nine days leave to return to his home town for his mother's funeral. Along this period, the SS Gestapo lieutenant Gebhardt (August Diehl) tries to persuade Henri, who was born in silver-spoon and member of an influent Luxembourgian family, to convince the local bishop to give-up resisting to the Germans and write a letter to the Vatican in the name of the Catholic Church of Luxemburg convincing the Pope to support Hitler and the Nazi regime. The ambivalent Henri questions himself and the bishop what he shall do.

Based on a true story, "Der Neunte Tag" is an awesome movie and another impressive example of the powerful German cinema, of which I am a great fan. The philosophical duel between the characters of Ulrich Matthes and August Diehl is simply fantastic, with magnificent silence and dialogs. Sometimes, silence associated to the expression of the face is more significant than words. The direction is stunning and very realistic, particularly in the concentration camp; the music score and the cinematography are very beautiful; and the performances are perfect, with the two lead actors deserving nominations to the Oscar. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "9o Dia" ("9th Day")