Before the Fall

Before the Fall
Directed by	Dennis Gansel
Produced by	Viola Jäger Harald Kügler Molly von Fürstenberg
Written by	Dennis Gansel Maggie Peren
Starring	Max Riemelt Tom Schilling
Music by	Angelo Badalamenti Normand Corbeil
Cinematography	Torsten Breuer
Editing by	Jochen Retter
Studio	Seven Pictures
Distributed by	Constantin Film
Release date(s)	January 13, 2005 (2005-01-13)
Running time	114 minutes
Country	Germany
Language	German
Box office	$3,764,219

Before the Fall (also known as NaPolA: Hitler's Elite; German: Napola - Elite für den Führer) is a 2004 German drama film written and directed by Dennis Gansel.

Plot

In 1942, Friedrich Weimer's (Max Riemelt) boxing skills get him an appointment to a National Political Academy (NaPolA) - high schools that produce Nazi elite. Against his father's will, he enrolls, seeing this as his ticket out of his factory life to the university. During his year in seventh column (fifth form), this innocence is altered as Friedrich encounters hazing, cruelty, death, and the Nazi code.

Cast

• Max Riemelt as Friedrich Weimer
• Tom Schilling as Albrecht Stein
• Jonas Jägermeyr as Christoph Schneider
• Leon Alexander Kersten as Tjaden
• Thomas Drechsel as Hefe
• Martin Goeres as Siegfried 'Siggi' Gladen
• Florian Stetter as Justus von Jaucher
• Devid Striesow as Heinrich Vogler
• Joachim Bissmeier as Dr. Karl Klein 'Karl der Große' / Anstaltsleiter
• Michael Schenk as Josef Peiner 'Peiniger' / Sportlehrer
• Justus von Dohnanyi as Gauleiter Heinrich Stein
• Claudia Michelsen as Frau Stein
• Julie Engelbrecht as Katharina
• Johannes Zirner as Torben Send

Production

The castle that houses the fictitious Napola Allenstein in the film is Bouzov Castle [1] in the Czech Republic.

Reception

Before the Fall received mixed to positive reviews; it currently holds a 68% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the consensus states "Despite a degree of predictability and cliches, the high production values and sincere performances by the leads elevate this coming-of-age story set in Nazi Germany."

Accolades

• Best Direction, Bavarian Film Awards, 2005
• Best international film, Hamptons International Film Festival, 2004
• Best Actor, Max Riemelt, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 2004
• Best film, Viareggio EuropaCinema, 2004

External links

• Before the Fall at the Internet Movie Database
• Before the Fall at AllRovi
• Before the Fall at Box Office Mojo
• Before the Fall at Rotten Tomatoes
• Before the Fall at Metacritic