The Golden Glove

Addiction therapy for coping with withdrawal from sex, alcohol and sausages. And from living in the attic. The Golden Glove is a deliberately cartoonish and repulsive trip into one of the less illustrious districts of Hamburg in the 1970s and into its seedy pubs full of exemplary scum, with shocking brutality and creative deviance exceeding even the most daring cinema productions. The real artistic contribution can be felt only in the last, long and carefully thought-out shot; the rest is just alternative perverted fun for hardened curious individuals that is supposed to reflect a certain society at certain time. It is not possible to take the film seriously, but you can be sure that you will remember it for a long time, that you will repeatedly quote dozens of its scenes when you drink beer with your friends, and that no one will beat this for a long time. It might even acquire cult status. During and immediately after seeing this, I would have awarded it a maximum of three stars, but its bizarre value grows over time and you’re tempted to watch it again. [Helsinki IFF] (02/10/2019)

German director Fatih Akin (In the Fade) gives us a portrait of a violent, woman-hating serial killer on the rampage in 1970s Hamburg. Jonas Dassler is perfect in the role, and the transformation of a likable young man into a sleazy madman thanks to some great make-up is impressive. The film is very authentic, filmed in a retro style and takes place either in an apartment or in a local dive bar where you won't like anyone at all, because the dregs of society of the time will be there. The protagonist kills a total of four women, but the murders are out of frame, so rather than gratuitous violence the director presents psychological pressure and maintains a certain rawness and dirtiness with the setting and the storage of the corpses in the apartment. I was hoping for something a little more gritty, but still, for fans of serial killers, this is a must-see. 65%. (28/08/2019)

The cozy little pub called the Golden Glove is a meeting place of such a freak show of characters from the city of Hamburg that I would definitely not recommend the film to any sensitive souls. Especially since the most prominent character is a cross between the Führer and Quasimodo. Although Fritz Honka lacks the hunchback’s warm relationship with people, he makes up for it with his warm relationship to alcohol. The Germans apparently still have something to offer. To the faint of heart who decide to watch the film despite my warning, I suggest doing so on an empty stomach. (05/01/2020)

I just went through one of the most disgusting movie experiences in recent memory. In the interest of objectivity, however, I would like to say that otherwise this is a marvelously directed story about Hamburg serial killer Fritz Honka, with a perfectly captured period atmosphere. The stench coming from various human excrements and the disgusting smell of rotting corpses reached me through the TV screen. Oh, my gosh, I think I'm gonna have to give the movie room a good dusting. Anyway, my big compliments to all the actresses involved, because it must have been real hard work on set and they played their roles incredibly authentically. It should be noted that the masked Jonas Dassler as a perverted murderer was really scary, he played his part perfectly. (80%) (20/12/2022)

A deeply human film about the butchering of old prostitutes as an expression of the anxiety of loneliness and the meaninglessness of life. It’s a film full of Wunderbaum trees, because the screen and your clothes stink after you see it. A borderline but uplifting experience from a director who once again pays homage to the total scum of the earth. (28/09/2019)