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      Invincible

      PG-13 Released Sep 20, 2002 2h 11m Drama List
      55% 51 Reviews Tomatometer 51% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score "Invincible" tells the true story of Zishe Breibart, a Jewish blacksmith from eastern Poland who travels to Berlin in the 1930s to join a night club cabaret. He is billed as the world's strongest man -- a claim that is not well received by the rising Nazi party. Using his role as the modern day Sampson to defend his own people, Zishe embarks on an inevitable path to tragedy. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Jan 30 Rent Now

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      Invincible

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      Critics Consensus

      Sluggish and flawed, this is a minor work in Herzog's career.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Frances H Wonderful film. Tim Roth does the best villains ever. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/23/16 Full Review Audience Member Somehow I missed this fiction film from Werner Herzog (along with Scream of Stone, it seems), even as I caught up on many of his documentaries from the same period. Of course, my expectations were high, but this turned out to be more conventional than much of Herzog's output. But I wanted to think otherwise. Indeed, at the start, in a small1930's Polish village, you could almost feel that you are in the same fictional space in which Herzog set The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) -- and nonprofessional actor (and full-time strongman) Jouko Ahola is not unlike a gentler less pessimistic Bruno S. If he was trying to cash in by going mainstream, Herzog didn't try very hard. Tim Roth and Udo Kier (known for weirdness) may be the only recognizable actors amongst a cast of amateurs and people with real skills (playing the piano or lifting heavy weights). But even as Herzog tackles very weighty issues (ahem), such as the rise of the Nazi's and the plight of the Jews, he seems to have misplaced his ability to raise his material to another level. True, he throws in undulating jellyfish and hordes of red crabs (the latter in a dream sequence), but these overt touches only tend to demonstrate what is lacking from the film as a whole. Nevertheless, from any other director, this would be a solid (if longish) retelling of the true story of the New Samson, a Jew who dazzled Berlin as the strongest man in the world and warned of the terrible Holocaust to come. Of course, Herzog's version might not entirely match up with the facts, but I'm okay with that. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Written and directed by Werner Herzog, this was his first feature film in a decade, he'd turned to doing documentaries after the troubled production of Scream of Stone (1991). However, he found himself doing this biopic, loosely based on the life of Jewish strongman Zishe Breitbart, although Herzog took liberties with his life, setting it a full 7 years after Breitbart had died, but that was all part of what Herzog had in mind, and it works amazingly. It begins in rural Poland in 1932, it begins with Zishe Breitbart (Jouko Ahola), who works as a blacksmith in town, but he is also fantastically strong, and his talents are spotted at a local circus, and Zishe is invited to work in Berlin by Hanussen (Tim Roth), a supposed mystic (he isn't) as part of a big cabaret show. However, the audience every night is made up of soldiers of the rising Nazi party, so Zishe is under pressure to keep his identity a secret, but his younger brother Benjamin (Jacob Benjamin Wein) convinces Zishe that he has nothing to hide. Meanwhile, Zishe tries to win the affections of pianist Marta Farra (Anna Gourari), who just so happens to be in a relationshop with Hanussen. It's a very rare and little seen Herzog film, which was little seen upon release, but it managed to be a very compelling film, and very engaging. It has shots and moments we've come to expect from Herzog, but Herzog manages to get some brilliant performances from his actors too. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Missed this on release, reportedly a mis-fire from Herzog, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Some bad casting decisions make for some scenes to lose their emotional impact, but there is a still a lot to admire here. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Not sure what to give this.....i was sat there completely blown away for a while and it five star stuff....i mean it was wow.....then it seemed to get to be a bit of a struggle and didn't keep up wowness.....Herzog is incredible though with the authenticity going on..... and the editing and cinematography at first rate. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member This felt like it had much potential, but fizzled out. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Photos

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      Invincible

      Jouko Ahola (L) and Anna Gourari (R) in Invincible Anna Gourari (L) and Tim Roth in Invincible Jouko Ahola in Invincible Tim Roth in Invincible Jouko Ahol (L) and Director Werner Herzog (R) in Invincible Jouko Ahola in Invincible View more photos

      Critics Reviews

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      James Berardinelli ReelViews Rated: 2/4 Aug 24, 2006 Full Review Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine ...the naivete of his performance has a humbling effect on a film that, while entirely too long and short on sizzling imagery, is meant to be taken simply as folkloric. Rated: 2.5/4 May 26, 2003 Full Review Susan Stark Detroit News Rated: 4/4 Nov 3, 2002 Full Review Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 26, 2006 Full Review Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion Rated: B Aug 25, 2006 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 3/5 Aug 19, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis "Invincible" tells the true story of Zishe Breibart, a Jewish blacksmith from eastern Poland who travels to Berlin in the 1930s to join a night club cabaret. He is billed as the world's strongest man -- a claim that is not well received by the rising Nazi party. Using his role as the modern day Sampson to defend his own people, Zishe embarks on an inevitable path to tragedy.
      Director
      Werner Herzog
      Producer
      James Mitchell, Lucki Stipetic
      Screenwriter
      Werner Herzog
      Distributor
      Fine Line Features
      Production Co
      Fine Line Features, Jan Bart Productions
      Rating
      PG-13 (Sexual Content|Thematic Elements)
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 20, 2002, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 21, 2016
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $80.6K
      Runtime
      2h 11m
      Sound Mix
      Surround
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