The Iceman - DVD

Film: About 5,000 years ago, Stone Age man Kelab (Jürgen Vogel) lived with his family with a tribe in the Ötztal Alps. It is a simple but peaceful life. But this is abruptly destroyed when the settlement is raided and the entire tribe is brutally killed. Only Kelab, who was hunting at the time, has survived and now seeks revenge. He wants to find and kill the murderers of his family, who also stole the tribe's shrine. But the harsh nature makes the search difficult and when he finally finds a trail, he has to wonder if blind revenge is really the way to go.

The Iceman is a truly ambitious film project. Filmmaker Felix Randau wanted to make the fictional recreation of the possible last days of Ötzi, probably Europe's most famous mummy, as authentic as possible. Shooting on original locations was intended to guarantee this, as were the set and the dramaturgy, which was reduced to the essentials. The director's most courageous decision, however, was to have his characters communicate in a form of the Rhaetian language and not to translate it - for example, through subtitles. Although it is not difficult to follow the already wordless plot despite not understanding the spoken language, this is definitely a challenge for viewers to be able to engage with.

Whoever succeeds will be rewarded with a visually intense survival thriller that thrives on a stark contrast between the raw beauty of nature and the brutality of the story. The problem with films like this is that they often seem contrived in some way. This is certainly due to the fact that - even though the motifs may well have a connection to the present day - the Stone Age era in which the story is set simply seems alien. But unlike, say, The Cold Heart, where the effort to be authentic made the whole thing feel like a production in an open-air museum, this form of staging works quite well in The Iceman.

As I said, you have to be able to get into it. If you can, you'll be treated to an atmospherically dense mix of revenge and survival thriller that takes a possible look at the last days of the man who made history 5,000 years later as Ötzi. Worth seeing!

Image + Sound: The DVD's image captures the beautifully raw atmosphere of the wilderness very well, with good detail sharpness and a coherent colour scheme. Some minor blurring can be discerned in the darker scenes, but there is little to complain about in the brighter shots. Overall, the sound is mixed in a rather restrained manner, but an atmospheric surround feeling is pleasantly noticeable, especially with the ambient sounds of the mountain world. Good.

Extras: In addition to interviews with the actors Jürgen Vogel, André M. Hennicke and Susanne Wuest, as well as the director Felix Randau and the producer, the DVD also has a short promo making of, as well as a short alternative ending to offer. Finally, the bonus material gives the viewer a glimpse into the fight rehearsals and in the best feature still on the set of the film. Good.

Conclusion: The Iceman is an ambitious adventure film that scores points for its atmospheric imagery and exciting story. The courage to do without a translation of the Rhaetian language or subtitles pays off. Because this allows the film to fully display its authentic power. This is certainly not everyone's cup of tea. But if you can get involved with it, you'll get almost 90 minutes of rousing entertainment here, which is available on the DVD in good picture and sound quality. As a bonus there are interviews and an interesting look at the set of the film. Recommended

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp