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      Coup de Grace

      1976 1h 35m History Drama List
      Reviews 77% Audience Score 500+ Ratings A countess (Margarethe von Trotta) loves her brother's (Rudiger Kirschstein) Prussian-officer friend (Matthias Habich) in the 1919 Baltic area. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (3) Critics Reviews
      Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Jun 15, 2005 Full Review Dan Jardine Apollo Guide The simplicity and naivet of the film's themes are problematic. Rated: 72/100 Sep 5, 2003 Full Review Rumsey Taylor Not Coming to a Theater Near You Coup de Grce is an ambiguously political film (the argument of its war is inherited, though neither side is defended exemplarily), in regard to both its war and sexual conflict. May 18, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member This really struck a personal, compelling blow for me. I completely understood von Trotta's performance of a person who will do anything, no matter how devastating to whom, in order to be noticed, and loved. This film should be much better known, and watched. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member This really struck a personal, compelling blow for me. I completely understood von Trotta's performance of a person who will do anything, no matter how devastating to whom, in order to be noticed, and loved. This film should be much better known, and watched. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A German army unit fighting Bolshevik guerillas find themselves stationed at the chateau of one of their officer. While there, the sister of the officer falls in love with another officer who refuses to return her affections. Unrequited love at the backdrop of war is nothing new. Though it's extremely well-crafted and acted, I thought the first two acts come off as a bit cold to me because the characters were unpleasant and I thought I've seen better films. But then the third act twists came up and it lifts up the entire film and makes EVERYTHING make sense all the way to the haunting ending. It's overall very, very good. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Gorgeously shot with a haunting score. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Increases in depth as its characters' personal lives, in particular the unrequited love story, enter the political story. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review walter m "Coup de Grace" starts with the return of Konrad(Rudiger Kirschstein) to his ancestral home in the Baltic states in the winter of 1919, after many years fighting in The Great War, with his friend Erich(Matthias Habich). This instantly invigorates the spirits of Konrad's sister Sophie(Margarethe von Trotta, who also co-wrote with Jutta Bruckner and Genevieve Dormann), who had been recovering from having been raped. Even as she is feeling better, everything else is going to hell around them as the country is in the midst of a civil war where the army is not only shooting Bolsheviks, but anybody who does not inform on them. With time possibly running out for everybody, Sophie declares her love for Erich... "Coup de Grace" is a haunting movie that could have devolved into a silly soap opera, if not for Volker Schlondorff's restrained direction. What the movie is mostly concerned with is the possibility of free will in times of war. Erich is a professional soldier who feels useless unless he has a battle to wage, as he could have just easily gone to live in Paris or Berlin. I thought at first maybe he turned down Sophie's proposal because his feelings were for Konrad instead but they do exist for Sophie. He just does not want to have to worry about her in a war zone where the lines between friend and foe are nonexistent. However, she does not need taking care of, even with supplies running out and typhus rampant, as she publicly sides with the Bolsheviks. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

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      Coup de Grace

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis A countess (Margarethe von Trotta) loves her brother's (Rudiger Kirschstein) Prussian-officer friend (Matthias Habich) in the 1919 Baltic area.
      Director
      Volker Schlöndorff
      Production Co
      Argos Films, Hessischer Rundfunk, Bioskop Film
      Genre
      History, Drama
      Original Language
      German
      Release Date (DVD)
      May 27, 2003
      Runtime
      1h 35m