Germany/Austria | 2010 | Directed by Benjamin Hesienberg
Logline: The true story of an ex-con who trains as a marathon runner whilst leading a double life as a masked armed robber.
A thoroughly gripping drama that borders on being an action thriller The Robber is driven, in every sense of the word. Based on real events and adapted from the book by Martin Prinz, the narrative focusing on the armed robberies of Johann “Hans” Rettenberger (Andreas Lust) who, after six years inside and training, was released from prison and immediately began training for the Vienna marathon, as well as embarking on a relationship with Erika (Franziska Weisz). At the same time Hans returns to his criminal ways, donning a mask, brandishing a pump action shotgun, and stealing hundreds of thousands of euros from banks. A lone bandit with a lover and on the run can only elude capture for so long.
Eschewing any kind of rationale for Hans behaviour, apart from suggesting you can’t teach a naughty dog new tricks, director Hesienberg instead concentrates on building a steady tension, elongating the suspense, and providing several intriguing plot developments, while essentially remaining incredibly streamlined and elegant in that wholly Germanic way.
Hans barely cracks a smile the entire movie, and his girlfriend Erika doesn’t seem to have an awful lot of fun either, although they do provide each other with moments of sexual healing. The two performances are excellent. Apart from peripheral roles (those who encounter Hans whilst he runs from the law), there’s the parole officer (Markus Schleinzer) who tries his darnedest in keeping Hans on the straight and narrow, encouraging his athleticism, but ultimately never managing to win Hans’ respect.
Sensationally shot, especially the darkness before the dawn scenes, and also a beautiful scene in silhouette in Hans’ prison cell, and also featuring a heart-pumping soundtrack, The Robber (I’d have preferred the title The Runner) is a kinetic, yet moody drama of a very high calibre, unassuming from the start and building to what feels likely to be a violent climax, yet an ironic ending sweeps in, the kind of dissipation that is disquieting in its reward, like only real life can offer.
Rettenberger is presented in anti-hero mold, but there is an inherent violence within him that pushes his character into the shadow of desperate sociopath-cum-psychopath. This is a man addicted to adrenalin, a robber who wears an athlete’s electronic heart-rate belt, so that he can debrief himself later to see how he performed under duress. It’s the thrill of the chase that consumes Hans, and destroys his relationship with Erika. He’s been institutionalised in an inverse way, and it makes for a peculiar and fascinating study of the way the criminal mind works, especially considering the movie is based on a true story.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Hollywood gets its dirty little paws all over this, and within a year or so we’ll have a slimmed down Christian Bale playing the role of Hans and it’ll be the comeback movie for Katie Holmes as Erika (but spelt Erica). I don’t mean to sound cynical, but the reality is when a European movie of this quality makes a splash (as it probably will), Hollywood has to have a piece of the proverbial pie. Make sure you see Der Räuber before The Robber, if you get my drift.
Der Räuber screens as part of the Sydney Film Festival on Sunday, 13 June, 9.15pm, Dendy Opera Quays.
TRAILER:
