Plot: What’s it about?
Zishe (Jouko Ahola) is a Jewish blacksmith, one who lives with his family in a small, isolated community. Not isolated in terms of location, but in that the residents don’t often look outside of their small world, especially not Zishe and his clan. He lives with his parents, brothers, and sisters, in a simple life, but Zishe is soon offered a new world. You see, he has immense strength and when this is discovered by a traveler, Zishe is thrust into the limelight. The traveler is an agent for workers in variety shows, so he wants this newfound strongman to join his ranks. He agrees and becomes a sensation, a mythical man of muscle known as Siegfried. Of course, Siegfried is an Aryan legend and Zishe is Jewish, which cause some conflicts. His boss is Hanussen (Tim Roth), who wishes to obtain a place in Hitler’s cabinet, as the head of a special Ministry of the Occult, a subject which he is obsessed with. At the same time, the rise of the Nazis and the waves of anti-Semitism that follow shake Zishe to the core. He is pulled between his new life of fame & fortune and his roots, a situation which tears him apart inside. But after some counsel from a rabbi, Zishe decides to stand up and be a voice for his people, who face grave danger. Can one man, even one as strong as Zishe, make a difference in such a complex situation?
As fan of his previous work, I looked forward to Werner Herzog’s latest release, a project based on a true story, Invincible. Herzog (Cobra Verde, Fitzcarraldo) has helmed some incredible pictures, one infused with raw emotion, realism, and excellent performances. But Invincible fails to continue that trend, as it comes off as weak and thin throughout, without the kind of emotion and depth we’ve come to expect. I don’t need a movie to be loaded with action, but I do need a movie to be interesting and for the first half or so, Invincible falls short. I love well crafted dialogue and character development, which often require a slowing in the film’s movement, but when Invincible stops, nothing happens in the least. I can handle slow stretches in movies, but they need to build toward something and in this case, no climax ever follows. This leaves us with a dull, often pointless first half and much to my dismay, the second half isn’t able to compensate. The film picks up a little and gets some steam, but it runs out gas around a lot of turns. Its fun to watch Tim Roth here, but the rest of the cast seems out of it, with minimal emotion in their efforts. A handful of effective scenes give us a glimpse of how good Invincible could have been, which makes it even harder to take. I can recommend this as a rental, but even Herzog devotees should look before they leap.
As often happens, the actor given the top billing isn’t the central character, though the cover would lead you to believe he was. No, Tim Roth isn’t the focus of Invincible, but he does have an important role in the picture. He doesn’t show up for a long while and then, vanishes before the end credits are unrolled. So kind of odd to showcase his presence, but he is the biggest name involved, so its understandable. Roth does have a cool role though, as he is allowed to exude darkness in a mysterious, occult persona. And he makes it work, with an effective level of weirdness throughout, but never too much. So you won’t bust a gut at over the top Roth’s performance is, but you can tell he’s hamming it up at times. Even so, his presence is a welcome one and he brings his usual solid effort to the table. But if you’re expecting a Tim Roth marathon with Invincible, you won’t see as much of him as you’d like. Other films with Roth include Planet of the Apes, Four Rooms, Reservoir Dogs, The Musketeer, and Pulp Fiction. The cast also includes Udo Kier (Modern Vampires, Flesh for Frankenstein), Max Raabe (Charleys Tante, The Turbulent Man), and Gustav-Peter Wohler (My Friend the Yeti, Gigantics).
Video: How does it look?
Invincible is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is New Line and as such, the visual presentation is terrific. The source print is almost pristine, with only a few small flaws, which never become a distraction. No problems with color either, which has a natural and effective appearance at all times. A few scenes have a kind of washed out texture, but that meshes with the visual scheme, so no worries. I found contrast to be smooth also, with accurate black levels and no defects to mention. So in the end, we have another great looking transfer from New Line, one of the best in the business.
Audio: How does it sound?
In a surprise, but welcome move, New Line has included dual 5.1 options in Dolby Digital and DTS formats. Of course, this movie is driven by dialogue and subtle elements, so the tracks never get much chance to shine. Even so, there’s ample room to stretch here and both soundtracks provide clean, acceptable presentations. The music has a lot of life here, which livens up the experience and when scenes do demand some extra kick, these tracks are more than prepared. So not a dynamic, knock down the walls kind of experience, but these are good soundtracks. The DTS has a more refined presence at times, but either would be a good choice. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
