The Wall

Released Jun 7, 2013

1h 48m

Drama

Sci-Fi

List

77%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

69%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Cut off from the outside world by an invisible and impenetrable barrier, a lone woman (Martina Gedeck) starts a journal of her experiences.

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Critics Consensus

Die Wand (The Wall) preserves its source material's thought-provoking themes -- and serves as a brilliant showcase for Martina Gedeck, whose performance carries the film.

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Ethan Gilsdorf

Boston Globe

Bleak and beautiful, harrowing yet inspiring, "The Wall" ("Die Wand") is a stunning tale of isolation and survival in a wild and silent world.

Sep 18, 2013

Full Review

Drew Hunt

Chicago Reader

An elegant, slow-burning exercise in narrative minimalism.

Sep 12, 2013

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Stephanie Merry

Washington Post

Plsler's film is quietly deliberate without ever feeling slow, thanks to a few handy assets at his disposal.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 23, 2013

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Patrick Gamble

CineVue

Pölsler has created a captivating and emotionally compelling parable which harks back to an era when popular sci-fi functioned as a thoughtful and vital study of contemporary issues.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 26, 2019

Full Review

Mae Abdulbaki

Punch Drunk Critics

Pölsler creates the perfect quiet and isolated atmosphere and Gedeck really sells it. Hauntingly sad.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 14, 2018

Full Review

Ray Pride

Newcity

The widescreen images of the Austrian landscape and the lovingly lit cabin interiors are unfailingly gorgeous, but Gedeck's the key asset: her fine, expressive features do almost as daunting a job as the words, words, words we hear.

Apr 9, 2014

Full Review

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DELL P

I found the Wall increasingly difficult and somewhat painful to watch. However, it was very well done and while I considered turning it off - like setting aside a book you started but don't find worth finishing - I needed to see this one to the end.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/24

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Miranda F

The dog dies brutally. Terrible movie, would not recommend.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/20/23

Full Review

Tink L

A stunning work of art and - in a very melancholy way - philosophical beauty. I guess it is advantageous if you speak German (I didn't bother reading the subtitles because I do), the narrated prose from the diary entries is of a beauty very rare these days. Gedeck's acting is superb, I couldn't fault the cinematography and the violin sonatas capture and enhance the mood so amazingly well ...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/08/23

Full Review

Matt v

I watched this movie in my hunting cabin in the mountains via the miracle of satellite internet. Maybe that's why it affected me so deeply. Besides the obvious premise of this movie regarding solitude and loneliness, this movie touches deeper and on a more spiritual level than any review could convey. I loved it, but I know not many other people would. I'm so grateful to the filmmakers for making this and giving me the experience.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/06/23

Full Review

Gary B

I have a big problem with the attitude that giving in to hopelessness and sadness in inevitable circumstances is somehow more profound than trying to make the best of things. So many high-brow artsy narratives fall in this category, and The Wall does as well. A woman in a beautiful Austrian setting finds herself trapped in the area by an invisible wall and unable to contact anyone. She sets about trying to survive, with only the company of some animals, including her faithful dog, Lynx. The film is beautifully photographed and the actress's performance as the unnamed woman is up to par. So far, so good. So what is the movie going to tell us? Well, not much. Since it gives us no explanation for the wall or the motionless few people she can see through it, nor for the lone man who appears near the end wielding an ax of destruction that breaks her heart, we must conclude the movie is saying circumstances are random and absurd and the only thing that matters is getting confused and depressed about it. That's how I felt at the end of this movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/07/23

Full Review

Ryan F

Rather than an arc of events and drama, it plays more like transendental timelapse of thought while coping with the seemingly uncopeable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/01/23

Full Review

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Julian Roman Poelsler

Director

Martina Gedeck

Woman

Karlheinz Hackl

Hugo

Ulrike Beimpold

Luise

Wolfgang Maria Bauer

Man

Hans Michael Rehberg

Cottager

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Synopsis

Cut off from the outside world by an invisible and impenetrable barrier, a lone woman (Martina Gedeck) starts a journal of her experiences.

Director: Julian Roman Poelsler
Screenwriter: Julian Roman Poelsler
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: StudioCanal, Starhaus Filmproduktion GmbH, Arte, ORF, Coop99 Filmproduktion, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) [at]
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 7, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 21, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $38.7K
Runtime: 1h 48m

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