Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas
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Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas
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Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas
Directed by:
Arnaud des PallièresCinematography:
Jeanne LapoirieComposer:
Martin WheelerCast:
Mads Mikkelsen, Mélusine Mayance, Delphine Chuillot, David Kross, Bruno Ganz, Denis Lavant, Roxane Duran, Sergi López, Amira Casar, Stefano Cassetti (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
In the 16th century, horse dealer Michael Kohlhaas leads a happy and prosperous family life. When a lord treats him unjustly, this upstanding man raises an army and puts the country to fire and sword in order to have his rights restored. In the 16th century, with the age of feudalism in decline, Europe rests at a tense crossroads between the old world and the new. Respected, well-to-do horse merchant Michael Kohlhaas is a loving husband and family man leading a peaceful existence, until a ruthless nobleman steals his horses, setting off a chain of irreversible events. Kohlhaas resorts to extremes after these crimes destroy his livelihood and trust in the law, igniting a rampage through the countryside in his quest for justice. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
Braveheart for more discerning viewers. The tangle of existential musings the protagonist goes through reminded me of a Shakespearean drama, but set in a seemingly simple revenge story. Pride, wrongdoing, anger, moral principles, (in)justice of the times. Unique and interesting editing, omitting lines in the story, relying on the audience’s involvement. Visually and acoustically engaging, creating a dense atmosphere through minimalism (the howling wind is more important here than the emotional musical passages, which are scarce). Mads Mikkelsen is amazing as always.
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Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas is a totally awesome and properly made drama from the 16th century. It tells the story of revenge that doesn’t go unanswered. What makes the movie a bit more complicated is the manner of storytelling, which is pretty raw. It’s raw, often taciturn and it tells you a lot about the times. In general, it seems to me that the director really wanted to get as close to 16th century as possible. The characters don’t really speak much, they act. At the same time, you have Mads Mikkelsen here, who couldn’t possibly be more charismatic. I think you only come across a character this charismatic once per year. You simply look at him and you can sense gusts of wind brushing off his weathered face. I mean everybody would grow old quickly in those clearings where the movie takes place. Nevertheless, you will either fall in love with the film’s minimalism, or you will hate it for how boring it is. It worked for me, as I really liked the film. The film flows smoothly, it doesn’t rush things, but it rather manages to raise a whole number of philosophical questions not only about God, but also about society in general, which is a good thing. The user Salahadin unfortunately didn’t find any of that in the movie, which proves that it’s not for everybody. But if you accept the minimalism, the ending will knock you out. It’s actually one of the few moments where you get perfect minimalist music and the climax that shows Mads in the light of his ultimate acting performance and you will be left breathless in the last five minutes of the movie. Or at least that’s how the movie struck me.
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