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Next up is Im Schatten (2010)

Twelve years after his escape, professional criminal Trojan returns to Berlin. In the city, they prepare to steal a valuable painting, but the carefully planned robbery quickly spirals out of control. During the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, the public saw how professional criminal Trojan (Misel MATICEVIC) from IM SCHATTEN (2010) had to leave the capital indefinitely. Trojan continues to operate in a rather analogous way: he commits old-fashioned crimes, such as the theft of tangible objects such as watches, cash and paintings. He is not affiliated with any mafia or clan structure, he is a lone fighter, only occasionally and out of necessity participating in a team!

Extremely exciting, with rare dialogues and explosive moments of violence!

When the coup in the Ruhr does not go as planned, Trojan must return to Berlin to reconnect with old contacts (Marie-Lou SELLEM). And so it is: together with three accomplices (Tim SEYFI, Marie LEUENBERGER, Bilge BINGÜL) Trojan manages to steal a valuable painting by Caspar David FRIEDRICH. But then problems begin with the mysterious client Viktor (Alexander FEHLING)... IM SCHATTEN, by Braunschweig director Thomas ARSLAN, was a highly anticipated bombshell of the genre at the 2010 Berlinale. An interesting genre film made in Germany, told with the cinematic means of the Berlin School.

ARSLAN continues without a hitch with VERBRANNTE ERDE

Gangster films are still a rarity in German cinema. The images of cinematographer Reinhold VORSCHNEIDER (also IM SCHATTEN) tell with cold precision about people living in a dark version of Germany. Dark places, in the shadow of nearby attractions, but far from the perception of the police and ordinary residents. Berlin appears as the main character and antagonist of the film's characters. The underrated music by Norwegian composer Ola FLOTTUM (The Worst Man in the World, 2021) also contributes greatly to this tense atmosphere.

It shows a capital that is known, but not yet known

Many viewers will be able to recognize this urban development with all its streets from their surroundings. Haunted places are very close to us: scorched earth in the shadows! Misel MATICEVIC (IN THE ECHO OF CRIME / BABYLON BERLIN) is again very convincing as the Trojan horse, of which we will probably see more (Thomas ARSLAN is planning a kind of Trojan trilogy). GERMAN FILM AWARD nominee Marie Lou SELLEM (nominated in 2024 for KNOCHEN UND NAMEN / BONES AND NAMES) is a cold mediator. But GERMAN FILM AWARD winner Alexander FEHLING (2019 for DAS ENDE DER WAHRHEIT / THE END OF TRUTH) is awfully good and certainly doesn't need to hide from classic villains like Klaus KINSKI and Michael FASSBENDER.

It's still interesting!

Thomas ARSLAN doesn't want to spend as much time with the third film in his Troy trilogy as he did from 2010 to 2024.