29/46
Twelve years later, after escaping, professional criminal Troyan returns to Berlin. In the city, an attempt is made to steal a valuable painting. But the carefully planned robbery soon gets out of control. Next up is Im Schatten (2010). During the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, viewers saw how professional criminal Troyan (Misel MATICHEVICH) from IM SCHATTEN (2010) was forced to leave the capital indefinitely. Troyan still operates in a rather analog way: old-fashioned crimes such as stealing objects such as watches, cash and pictures. No ties to the mafia or clan structure, a lone fighter, only occasionally and if necessary in a team! When a coup in the Ruhr area does not go according to plan, Troyan must return to Berlin to pick up his old contacts (Marie-Lou SELLEM). And indeed: with his three comrades (Tim Seifey, Marie LEUENBERGER, Bilge BINGUL) Troyan manages to steal a valuable painting by Kaspar David FRIEDRICH. But that’s when the real trouble begins with the mysterious client, Viktor (Alexander FELLING)… At the BERLINALE 2010 film festival, Braunschweig director Thomas ARSLAN’s film IM SCHATTEN caused a sensation like a long-awaited genre bomb. An exciting genre film shot in Germany, told using the cinematic tools of the Berlin School. Extremely exciting, with rare dialogues and explosive moments of violence! ARSLAN continues, seemingly smoothly, with VERBRANNTE ERDE. Gangster films are still rare in German cinema. The images of cinematographer Reinhold FORSCHNEIDER (also IM SCHATTEN) tell with cold precision about the people who live in a shadow version of Germany. Dark places, in the shadow of nearby attractions, and yet far from the perception of the police and ordinary people. Berlin appears as an accomplice and adversary of the film’s protagonists. The restrained music of the Norwegian composer Ola FLOTTUM (THE WEIRDEST MAN IN THE WORLD, 2021) contributes greatly to this tense atmosphere. It shows the capital that he knows but still does not have. Many viewers will be able to recognize this urban development with all its paths from their own surroundings. The ghostly places are very close to us: scorched earth in the shadows! Misel MATICHEVICH (FRONT THE FACE OF CRIME / BABYLON BERLIN) is again very convincing in the role of Troyan, whom we will probably see again (Thomas ARSLAN is planning a kind of Trojan trilogy). GERMAN FILM AWARD nominee Marie Lou SELLEM (nominated in 2024 for KNOCHEN UND NAMEN / BONES AND NAMES) plays the icy mediator. But GERMAN FILM AWARD-GERMAN RECOMMENDED Alexander FELLING (winner of 2019 DAS ENDE DER WAHRHEIT) is frighteningly good and really doesn’t have to hide from classic villains like Klaus KINSKI and Michael FASSBENDER. Thomas ARSLAN doesn’t want to spend as much time on the third film in his ”Trojan” trilogy as he did between 2010 and 2024. Still exciting!