Film on all articles at the highest level! Based on the book The Last Kiss of the Kaiser, the quality and performance of the actors is exceptional. Both actors of the main roles were pleasantly surprised. Impressed!
In the center of the plot are 2 young heroes: she is an American spy under the cover of a maid in the house of the Kaiser, he is a German captain, assigned to the exiled monarch in order to protect and report on him, as well as find an American spy.
Despite the ban on military-staff relations, our heroes quickly find a common language. Soon, Mika confesses to German Captain Brandt that she is Jewish, but this does not spoil their relationship. Only gives the viewer even more excitement - so the relationship is secret, so she is also a Jew in a fascist society!
Soon, the captain learns that Mika is the spy to be killed. But will he do his duty? . .
Interesting story. I want to note that on the screen we can not see the novel of a fascist and an American spy. Two people who are not devoid of humanism. After all, Captain Stefan Brandt was disgusted with the approach to the life of his leadership. He was forced to hide his opinion from his colleagues in order not to be misinterpreted, she was forced to hide her status from everyone (which is logical for a spy), and even the Kaiser, who was cared for by the main characters, was under the hood. Such a heat of passions, as well as a bright love line, delay. Ornate plot moves do not let you get bored, and passionate love story gives the tape the prefix “sexual” to the word “tension”.
Not a bad movie. Have a good time!
I love to see how people can do their job beautifully and gracefully. The 2016 film The Exclusion, directed by David Levo, shows us this style of work. There is a kind of fine jewelry picture, proving that it is possible not to lose the nobility, and at the same time try to "sit on two chairs." And save yourself, and people around you, and leave a good memory of yourself on earth.
There are exceptions to every rule. So here's Berlin, the capital of Germany in 1940. German Army Captain Stefan Brown (Jai Courtney) arrives in a sad state of mind after a business trip to Poland, where he witnessed the atrocities of the fascist regime. With non-healing mental scars, he seeks solace in useless shooting at trees, attaches himself to a schnapps and prowls around, looking for a shorter skirt.
And around the German troops are victoriously advancing along the entire European front, and Brown is delegated to Holland as head of the guard of the former Kaiser Wilhelm 2.
The hero, arriving at the site, also meets Wilhelm’s wife, Princess Hermine (Janet Martin), who harbors hopes for the restoration of the monarchy in Germany. The German captain, snorting schnapps, misses the Princess, but “puts his eyes” on the new young maid of the Wilhelm family – Mickey (actress Lily James). Oh, such a woman, of course, will pay attention not only to the German captain, but also to the Sudanese ensign and the Russian sergeant.
The film "Exception" does not promise anything exciting at the beginning. The viewer sees the shadow of an idyllic picture of the real terrain of Holland, and nothing seems to portend any special events in this boring and beautiful place.
When Wilhelm asked Mickey if she would have conquered Holland if she had an army, she replied, without hesitation, "Yes," although she was a Dutchwoman. To the question “Why?”, the beauty calmly shrugged her shoulders: it’s just a beautiful country.
And calm. Until it turns out that there is a British spy working next to Wilhelm who is broadcasting to London. To capture the spy comes the son of a butcher, and now the Gestapo Dietrich, and his goal is to identify the British “mole” and neutralize.
The film seems long, so calm, but the whole story here is based on the male figure. Namely on Hitler's army captain Stephane (Jai Courtney). He was the one who played great in this film. His soulful tossing between duty and love, between good and evil, he portrayed just cool! It looks like a German soldier.
Is it possible to have high feelings between two opposing sides, essentially enemies? In principle, this is a fairly common phenomenon in cinema, in literature, and in life.
It was no exception to the movie “Exception”. At first it seems that the authors are trying to show us that the main idea of the picture is that sublime love is possible among potential enemies. But it is possible if both are not fanatics, but reasonable people, flexible, do not run to shoot and torture people for some idea.
And here we are shown the episode in Poland and we understand that the captain of the German army Stefan Braun is the exception from the general mass of Hitler's army.
I think the main idea of the film is not a love story. Duty or love is pretty commonplace. I think the 2016 film The Exclusion is about the flexibility of human thinking that can lead to the best results. This is a film about the human brain and feelings. The way we're different from animals.
Pretty majestic looks in his costumes Kaiser and Wilhelm 2 performed by Christopher Plummer. I would appreciate the great work of the costumers in the picture. The form is so brilliant, impressive, both on soldiers and representatives of the German command, and on the Kaiser, that the film is pleasant to watch simply from the point of view of a fashion designer. Or a person who likes variety and understands clothes. And the secular costumes of the era in the film are good. Especially the red beret of the main character.
Watching The Exclusion, I even learned some facts from history that I didn’t know. Germany and Europe, before Hitler's invasion of Poland, for example. Ignored that Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated and exiled himself to Holland after Germany's defeat in World War I in 1918. This is an educational film, including.
So, Kaiser has lived in Holland with his wife for two decades. In exile. But German officers are called to him, and Reichsfuehrer Himler himself comes. They want the Kaiser back on the throne and restore the monarchy? Or do they want to eliminate him? Unknown. The guard of the Kaiser is entrusted to Stefan and they say at the same time: if something happens to the old man, then you will be shot.
And the Kaiser is worthy of respect, he turned out to be performed by Christopher Plummer very colorful. In his costume, with epaulets, with his manners, plus with some soulfulness of the character. I would say that the Kaiser has a certain charisma. You feel sympathy for him, as in principle, for a good person.
But there is a war, and it is made by soldiers and entire armies. The army is an institution where orders are carried out unquestioningly, so it is not surprising to see Stefan Brant, on his first meeting with Mickey, the new maid at Wilhelm’s house, tell her to take off all her clothes and she does so without much embarrassment.
Orders are not discussed, they can be bypassed, rounded, turned to the good, or vice versa, to the bad. I think The Exception is about the flexibility of the human mind and behavior. There are not only blacks and whites in life, and not only 50 shades of gray, there are hundreds of halftones and possibilities. I will repeat this thought again.
All in all, 2016’s The Exclusion is a spyy, somewhat snarky, or something, film set on the basis of real events from 1940. This is the story of the forbidden fruit from Adam and Eve. A story of devotion to a country that may no longer exist.
An unusual blunder that can be seen in the film is that one of the characters is shown "in an interesting position" at the end of the war, during the bombing of Berlin. The main action of the film takes place in 1940. What, five years of pregnancy? It is strange what the authors of this long-term pregnancy wanted to say.
However, in any case, there is hope for a good outcome, and that the flexibility of the mind and senses will be rewarded with fire. And the book became a symbol of such hope.
The movie "The Exclusion" looks good, there is a detective spy spirit, with the excellent play of two men played by Christopher Plummer and Jai Courtney.
7 out of 10
Why they deceived and attracted to the romantic image of the hero, belonging to the notorious “Black Order of the SS”, remained a mystery.
The intrigue of exclusion* as such, for me, was how the actual officer of the Wehrmacht, in the military rank of captain (German Hauptmann), will become declared in the description ' officer SS' and win the heart of the Jewish lover. After that, their passionate romance and subsequent exciting events will break out. . .
Through what manipulations and intrigues will he pull off this reincarnation? Alas, everything is so famously twisted that even after watching, the answer to the intriguing question hung in a vague understatement. What did I miss?
*The whole film, this colorful character Stefan Brandt (Jay Stephen Courtney), in the real story is an officer of the Wehrmacht (Wehrmacht officer) with the rank of captain (German Hauptmann), wears the appropriate form and insignia.
On all visual images, covers, trailers and throughout the film, we observe the image of the hero, only in the unambiguous capacity of an officer of the Wehrmacht, without any conventions and reservations.
Yes, he removes his uniform, but not at all in order to reincarnate in the long-awaited and so “announced” – a romantic image of the SS officer & #39. Not at all.
He is addressed ' Captain' according to his military rank, he is not some cloaked, embedded employee of the notorious "Black Order of the SS", performing a secret mission under the guise of a simple army officer.
If he were an SS officer in the rank (similar to his military captain) - Hauptsturmführer SS (German SS-Hauptsturmführer), he would wear the corresponding SS uniform and characteristic insignia. On his cap and uniform, in this case, would be quite different identification elements, and especially other design eagles. For in the form of the SS, they were always in the modern style, with wings beveled from above and below + other distinctive artistic details.
But interpreters of abstracts did not need to know even such obvious nuances, because in the texts of the correct originals, Wehrmacht officer is clearly mentioned.
(By the way, on most left-wing, other English-language resources, the somewhat controversial, unified definition of German soldier & #39 is also duplicated.)
On this basis, I came to the disappointing conclusion that nothing could have broken out between a non-existent SS officer and whoever, since his (SS officer #39) is simply not there.
Except for the episodic (grotesque) Himmler and his mass retinue.
According to the fact of events, a Jewish girl is having an affair with Wehrmacht officer - an officer of the Wehrmacht Army, with the rank of captain (or rather the German Hauptmann), and only with him. ' Captain' Stefan Brandt (Capt. Stefan Brandt). Captain and not Hauptman, due to the fact that the production of Great Britain, the United States, and for them he is in a more familiar and adapted for understanding, the military rank of captain.
p.s. For clarity:
Correct original (Eng) description in the source: Wikipedia (fragment)
In particular,
When a Wehrmacht officer (Courtney) is ordered to determine whether or not a British spy has infiltrated the Kaiser's residence with a view to assassinating the deposed monarch, he falls in love with one of the Kaiser's maids during his investigation. ..
When a Wehrmacht officer (Kourtney) is ordered to determine whether a British spy has infiltrated the Kaiser's residence with the aim of assassinating the deposed monarch, he falls in love with one of the Kaiser's maids during his investigation. . .
Total:
Why they deceived and attracted to the romantic image of the hero, belonging to the notorious “Black Order of the SS”, remained a mystery. Maybe obviously, and it was intended, for greater intrigue and a more exciting, contradictory entourage. . . )
The film “Exception” in 2016 is one of hundreds of similar military melodramas that have not lost their popularity in recent years. Usually they raise the theme of love, with which life itself puts obstacles, and in order to fully reveal this “unauthorized” they throw the heaviest “artillery” into battle: sad, tear-causing music, beautiful natural plans, so vividly contrasting with the panoramas of war, the ever-accelerating course of action, which eventually ends with the culmination of death or shots. In "Exception," in one form or another, all this is. And yet it is a little different from its even more famous brethren.
Firstly, the love line develops against the background of the life of a real historical person – the former German Kaiser Wilhelm |, who was removed from the throne after the First World War and has been living in his estate in the Netherlands for 20 years. Christopher Plummer did a great job in his role and conveyed this inner conflict of a man dreaming of his throne and on the other hand realizing that his throne is no longer there, and that Germany is no more. The drama of a great man whom the whole world blamed for the war and his people for the defeat of the war. In addition, Plummer, with a regal posture, noble profile and in ceremonial uniform, like no other makes you believe in your imperial past. Not the last point is the ironic sense of humor of the ex-monarch - it reduces the excessive pathosity of the film.
Secondly, the main characters themselves do not look like ordinary characters of this genre. He is an SS captain, a German military woman, she is a Jew, whose husband and father were destroyed by the Nazis. Wartime Romeo and Juliet, between which lie national differences, political ideologies, the beginning of the war and the duty that each of them must fulfill. Jai Courtney fit perfectly into the German officer's appearance. Perhaps he lacked the brightness and emotionality to convey emotional conflict, the struggle of love and military duty. Although on the other hand, it can only more strongly show his characteristic restraint, the ability to keep his contradictions in himself, showing the choice made only by actions. Former “Cinderella” Lily James got out of cute fairy tales and very well played a Jewish maid who is forced to fulfill her destiny and avenge her loved ones. It's nice that she wasn't made some inanimate fearless heroine. No, the girl is afraid, although full of determination, but is in constant nervous tension. In general, a harmless woman who is forced by war to learn to be different.
What I liked was the musical aspect. Throughout the film there is a certain rhythm - the signal transmission. In moments of tension, it accelerates and drowns out everything else. The instrumental soundtracks are written by Ilan Eshkeri, especially Waking up.
In general, “Exception” does not pretend to be a serious military drama (in principle, there is no war there at all). It acts here only as an obstacle between the characters, but it is difficult to call it a banal melodrama. It's probably something in between. It’s an exception to both genres.
PS. I advise you to look in the original: the Russian translation leaves much to be desired. I made the mistake of watching the movie first in Russian: the impression was very average. But after re-watching already in English, I finally reached the jokes of the Kaiser and the very meaning of the name.
8 out of 10
Forbidden love has always been an extremely relevant and popular topic both in the literary world and among filmmakers. Willingly becoming the foundation of any story since the creation of William Shakespeare’s classic masterpiece Romeo and Juliet, and maybe even much earlier. To use this topic also decided and the Englishman David Levot, for whom this film was his directorial debut.
The plot of the picture sends the viewer into the thick of the events of the Second World War. But focusing on one of the bloodiest wars in the history of mankind, how much around the peaceful life in one of the local provinces. There is a spark between a German officer and a maid of Jewish descent, which grows very rapidly and passionately into something much more.
Choosing such a classic plot for the narrative, the creators of the tape could not go beyond the long-overdue and established plot framework. Only by emphasizing some secondary personal motives of each lover. When one is ordered to save life, and the other to take this very life.
Considering the fact that this film was the debut for the director David Levo, the film turned out to be very worthy. However, the lack of directorial experience took its toll and did not allow the picture to become much better. Therefore, it is not surprising that having the necessary atmosphere, authentic scenery, costumes and other “material attributes” of that time, the picture fails to fully recreate the spirit of that time. Actually, as well as to heat up the dramatic sharpness of the relations of the main characters. As a result, and achieving that the very theme of the relationship of the main characters involuntarily fades into the background, focusing all the attention of the viewer on a fairly fresh and gray narrative. Of course, losing to many pictures on this topic. Including the very close "Temptation" of Ang Lee.
Lily James, who I personally consider not only one of the most attractive, but also insanely talented young actresses of our time, perfectly coped with her task. Not bad coped with his task and Jay Courtney, which perfectly fit into the image of a German officer purely externally. Even if you do not find the strength to reveal the dramatic “rift” of your character from the past in full. The best game was demonstrated by a veteran of the cinema Christopher Plummer and a unique Eddie Marsan, each of which literally worked wonders with his play every time he appeared on the screen. Literally dissolved in their characters completely.
6 out of 10
The exception is another film on the theme of “forbidden love”, but in the midst of World War II. It turned out very not bad, atmospheric, author's and interesting product. But just enough to watch the film to its logical end and not have the desire to repeat the viewing ever. Ultimately, presenting a sample of a not-bad but disposable feature film.