GERMAN RELEASE OF “JOHN RABE”

The movie about The Good German of Nanking in theaters now!

I went to attend a sneak preview of the German-French-Chinese co-production

John Rabethe other night. Well, not actually what you should call a sneak preview, since the movie had already premiered at the Berlin Film Festival a couple of weeks ago.

Still, this screening was kind of special, since it took place one day before the actual German release date on April 2, 2009. The cinema hall was reserved exclusively for the press and a bunch of local big wigs, film enthusiasts and some such... et moi, heheh!

No kiddin’, I got invited there by some local newspaper, and just before the show started I had to do this little interview in front of the whole damn audience. I felt pretty awkward, since I hadn’t actually seen the final cut and therefore I wasn’t even sure if my stunt scenes had made it into the movie. 

But I was lucky. Several split seconds of my doubling for German leading actor Ulrich Tukur ( The Lives of Others ) hadn’t actually hit the cutting room floor. Unfortunately, yet expectedly, I couldn’t find my name anywhere in the closing credits (something that happens a lot to stunt people shooting in China... or anywhere else, for that matter). I spotted some of the Chinese stuntmen’s names, though, including Shanghai-based stunt coordinator Li Guomin.

Thanks, guys.

Here I am, next to Mr. Tukur & the (uncredited) Russian stunt double for actress Dagmar Manzel

Be that as it may, it was not a bad movie. All the actors were great. John Buscemistole the show as sardonic American doctor Robert Wilson. I liked Zhang Jingchu as well, but that had nothing to do with her acting... I’m just such a sucker for Chinese babes.

Cute.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story. Most people familiar with modern Chinese history & World War II will know it, anyway. It’s kind of a China version of  Schindler’s List , and just like that movie, it’s based on true events. It’s way too sentimental for my liking (the violin-laden tear-jerker soundtrack doesn’t help in this regard, either), but that goes with the territory, I guess... so, bring some Kleenex.

Two or three boxes should do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgFHN5r7E84