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The Princess And the Warrior Details

2000 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 1734 members

From German director Tom Tykwer, whose energetic RUN LOLA RUN wowed audiences in 1998, comes this ethereal modern-day fairy tale. Hypnotizing German actress Franka Potente (RUN LOLA RUN, BLOW) stars opposite deft, volatile newcomer Benno Furmann. Using beautiful visuals involving ice cubes, underwater bubbles, rain, and the .. Read more

Starring Franka Potente, Joachim Krol, Benno Furmann, Lars Rudolph
Director Tom Tykwer
Genres Drama, Romance, World Cinema

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The Princess And the Warrior

From German director Tom Tykwer, whose energetic RUN LOLA RUN wowed audiences in 1998, comes this ethereal modern-day fairy tale. Hypnotizing German actress Franka Potente (RUN LOLA RUN, BLOW) stars opposite deft, volatile newcomer Benno Furmann. Using beautiful visuals involving ice cubes, underwater bubbles, rain, and the well-worn buildings of Wuppertal, Tykwer implements his signature filming style--a roving, curious, rapid camera that examines its subjects in extreme close up, follows letters into mailboxes, and soars over the nighttime city like a bird. The musical score and the impeccable use of sound complete the film's sensory excellence.
Bodo (Furmann) and Sissi (Potente) come together under strange circumstances: at the scene of an accident where Bodo saves Sissi's life after she is run over by a truck. Then he disappears. Sissi returns to her little room in the nursing ward of a psychiatric hospital where she works with mentally ill patients, one of whom is her own father. However, she cannot forget the man that saved her and has a powerful feeling that her life is inherently connected with his. Unable to pick up her life where she left it before the accident, she seeks out Bodo, who lives in a dilapidated house with his brother, and quickly establishes an steadfast bond with him.

Starring Franka Potente, Joachim Krol, Benno Furmann, Lars Rudolph, Melchior Beslon, Marita Breuer, Rolf Dannemann, Ludger Pistor, Staffen Schult, Jurgen Tarrach
Director Tom Tykwer
Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Drama, Romance, World Cinema
Language DVD: German
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 28 Jan 2002
Production year: 2000
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (6) of The Princess And the Warrior

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Rather than repeat the kinetic brio of Run Lola Run, director Tom Tykwer has bravely dropped the pace and stuffed this intense romantic drama with mysterious symbolism, muddled motivations and unresolved incidents. Despite referencing numerous art house icons, this is actually a highly personal piece, hence the setting is Tykwer's home town, Wuppertal. But he spends too much time demonstrating his technical virtuosity to involve us in the tortuous relationship between psychiatric nurse Franka Potente and widowed ex-soldier Benno Fürmann. With its shifting tone and wayward plot, this isn't an easy watch, but it's refreshing to see a film-maker experiment without undue concern for profit.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • "...Mathematically elegant....THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR has the structure of an elaborate mind-teasing puzzle....Languorously surreal..."

    • New York Times
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of The Princess And the Warrior

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  • 17 out of 17 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Much, much better than I expected

    I haven't seen a film that caught me out so consistently as this one since The Man Who Wasn't There. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, I was completely wrong-footed.

    It's not a chick-flick, it's not a thriller, it's not a ghost story, it's everything. So many stories could just as well be books or comic strips - or preferably landfill, but this needed to be a film to get across so many of the great ideas contained within it.

    I was on the edge of my seat for two hours. I was even gripped (and I'm writing this as a bloke) by whether the "Princess" and the "Warrior" were ever going to sort out their relationship. There, I've said it and I'm not sorry.

      • PeaceNick from Hampshire
      • Posted 08 Jan 2005 17:35

  • Most recent members' review of The Princess And the Warrior

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  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Stroll, Lola, Stroll

    In many respects this is a companion piece to 'Run, Lola, Run' as Twyker again explores similar themes of coincedence and destiny. The major difference is that 'Lola' runs at an adrenaline rush level of excitement but 'Princess' is a slowed down version - an hour longer and everything far more drawn out.

    There's a hell of a lot to enjoy here though, as there are terrific sequences that shows Twyker's editing and visual skills at full tilt - the lorry run, the robbery, the attempted bath murder, the rooftop leap et al. I'm not sure if the romantic mysticism of the central idea really works or not, but it's still great to watch.

      • Melon from East Sussex
      • Posted 14 Jan 2005 13:27

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Rating breakdown

1,734 Member ratings
  • 100
186
  • 90
152
  • 80
349
  • 70
329
  • 60
299
  • 50
155
  • 40
117
  • 30
60
  • 20
63
  • 10
24

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      • From German director Tom Tykwer, whose energetic RUN LOLA RUN wowed audiences in 1998, comes this ethereal modern-day fairy tale. Hypnotizing German actress Franka Potente (RUN LOLA RUN, BLOW) stars ...