Invincible (2002)

53% of critics liked it
(51 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(4,259 ratings)

Werner Herzog returned to dramatic filmmaking for the first time in a decade with this historical drama, based on a true story, about a man who rose to fame and fortune in 1932 as the Nazis rose to power in Germany, only to renounce his career in order to stand beside his people as a symbol of… More Werner Herzog returned to dramatic filmmaking for the first time in a decade with this historical drama, based on a true story, about a man who rose to fame and fortune in 1932 as the Nazis rose to power in Germany, only to renounce his career in order to stand beside his people as a symbol of strength and resistance. Zishe (Jouko Ahola) is a Polish Jew, and a blacksmith's son, who lives in a small town in Finland. A giant of a man with remarkable physical strength, Zishe is discovered by Landwehr (Gustav Peter Wohler), a theatrical agent who believes a successful nightclub act can be built around this Polish Adonis. Landwehr brings Zishe to Berlin, where he lands a spot in the revue of a nightclub run by Hanussen (Tim Roth), a stage hypnotist who claims to be a Danish nobleman with psychic gifts. Hanussen is also a confirmed anti-Semite who is in cahoots with many of the leading members of the Nazi Party, who are becoming a political force to be reckoned with. Zishe's act, in which he performs feats of strength while costumed as a Roman soldier, becomes a great success, but when he falls for Marta (Anna Gourari), a pianist at the club, he discovers he has a rival for her affection -- Hanussen, who is her lover but is also physically abusive toward her. One night, while performing for an audience comprised of Hanussen's Nazi friends, Zishe reveals to the crowd that he is actually a Jew. He soon becomes a champion of the Jewish cause and a hero to his fellow Poles, but earns the wrath of Hanussen and his comrades in the process. As he has often done in the past, Werner Herzog aimed for realism in his casting for Invincible; Jouko Ahola, who plays the Polish strongman, is actually a champion weightlifter from Poland, while Anna Gourari is known to music aficionados as a gifted concert pianist. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 15 min.
Directed By: Werner Herzog
Written By: Werner Herzog, E. Max Frye
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Sep 20, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Jun 3, 2003
Studio: Fine Line Features

Critic Reviews

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
Though few will argue that it ranks with the best of Herzog's works, Invincible shows he's back in form, with an astoundingly rich film.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Feels less like a change in [Herzog's] personal policy than a half-hearted fluke.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Remarkably accessible and affecting.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
A strange but oddly memorable film.
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Half-baked Herzog, though it has twinkles of theatrical purity that remind you of when his vision was grand.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The movie has the power of a great silent film, unafraid of grand gestures and moral absolutes.
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly
By the time Papale does make it the big game, it's as if the air goes out of the movie and all Core can do is punt.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Edifies Herzog's preoccupation with blurring the distinction between performance and naturalism, fiction and documentary.
Mark Palermo, Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Invincible approaches history as myth, striving not to document reality, but to penetrate its tragic essence.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A unique visual work.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
There aren't enough features on this DVD edition of Invincible to make it a must-own, especially for the Herzog fans who are bound to be disappointed by the film's folkloric tone.
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.
Moira Sullivan, Movie Magazine International
Herzog, a man of detail became enraptured with his subject and was unable to use his editing shears.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Based on actual events, Werner Herzog chronicles the rise and fall of Polish strongman Zishe Breitbart who entertained affluent Germans in pre-WWII Berlin. Herzog manages to capture the historical significance of the events but a meandering script and suspect performances left me… More
Based on actual events, Werner Herzog chronicles the rise and fall of Polish strongman Zishe Breitbart who entertained affluent Germans in pre-WWII Berlin. Herzog manages to capture the historical significance of the events but a meandering script and suspect performances left me feeling a bit cheated and underwhelmed.
Michael S

"Invincible," which completely flew under everyone's radar WAY back in 2001, is a fascinating film... a colorfully painted tale of individual triumph in the face of adversity. Based on fact, the film is a very straightforward effort, but is not completely void of… More
"Invincible," which completely flew under everyone's radar WAY back in 2001, is a fascinating film... a colorfully painted tale of individual triumph in the face of adversity. Based on fact, the film is a very straightforward effort, but is not completely void of Herzog's off-kilter style and sensibilities. It feels very dreamlike, and has a certain elegance and whimsy. Adding to this quality is a cast of relatively inexperienced actors (Tim Roth and a few others being the exceptions). The Hulking Jouko Ahola for example, the hero of the narrative, has a very limited acting range and ability but delivers a very likable, touching, and admirable performance in spite of himself. But no doubt it is Herzog who deserves credit most. Each scene is filled with the passion and love he obviously had for this material, and luckily his emotions bleed through. This is a powerful story told in a very unique and level-headed fashion. See this Gem. Another really interesting film from Herzog.
Anthony L

Not my favourite Herzog film by a long stretch but still very good. Its strangely entertaining watching such a brilliant actor (Roth) acting alongside bad actors (pretty much everyone else). That said, Jouko Ahola is very watchable and a typical Herzog character. I still much prefer… More
Not my favourite Herzog film by a long stretch but still very good. Its strangely entertaining watching such a brilliant actor (Roth) acting alongside bad actors (pretty much everyone else). That said, Jouko Ahola is very watchable and a typical Herzog character. I still much prefer his earlier work though.
Luke B

Always hard to know how to feel about a Herzog film. The man is certainly anything but normal and this often comes across in his films. This true story however is one of his straightest narratives and works brilliantly. Every scene is one of interest fascination. The story itself is… More
Always hard to know how to feel about a Herzog film. The man is certainly anything but normal and this often comes across in his films. This true story however is one of his straightest narratives and works brilliantly. Every scene is one of interest fascination. The story itself is the true story of a Jewish blacksmith who goes to Berlin to seek his fam and fortune only to become involved in a weird stage show that caters to the Nazi's. The main star is actually a bodybuilder and some have criticised his performance but to me he was certainly stilted but so was the character. Obviously quite simple and often naive. It could also be that his performance was held back to further highlight Roth's excellent charismatic turn, and perhaps the attractive lure of the Nazi's in general. It's a fascinating story and one that has an excellent twist that causes you to re-evaluate certain aspects of the film. It's deep, tragic but most of all entertaining, which as we discover can be just as strong as any army.
Eduardo C

Anyone who thinks they have a handle on Werner Herzog, who hs ever labeled him as a cynic or a satirist should see this film and shut the fuck up. It takes genuine courage to, in this day and age, make a film that is as pure hearted, as simple, as genuinely innocent as this. There… More
Anyone who thinks they have a handle on Werner Herzog, who hs ever labeled him as a cynic or a satirist should see this film and shut the fuck up. It takes genuine courage to, in this day and age, make a film that is as pure hearted, as simple, as genuinely innocent as this. There is a cynical character in the piece, but one whose cynicism slowly begins to shed. The film is "inspired by genuine events", a phrase that always raises a red flag in my head. Whatever the events were, the film succeeds by treating the story 100% seriously. There are no winks to the audience, no in-jokes, no mockery, there is only what is happening. Zishe is as pure, innocent and childlike a character as can be conceived, as is his world view, as is his desire to do good. The allegorical elements are never intrusive, and the film is not in service of them. The images are beautiful (one in particular, a shot of hundreds of crabs walking into the sand and over the rocks on a beach is a standout) and vintage Herzog.
Ashton R

Blah, this movie was atrocious; the acting was horrible, (even Roth's left something to be desired), the story was ridiculous (even if it was based on a real story), and it was just overall one of the most boring films I have ever seen. For one, it gives the impression that… More
Blah, this movie was atrocious; the acting was horrible, (even Roth's left something to be desired), the story was ridiculous (even if it was based on a real story), and it was just overall one of the most boring films I have ever seen. For one, it gives the impression that Roth's character is the main focus; wrong! It's some other buff dude I've never heard of who wouldn't know how to act if it bit him in the ass. And the cinematographcy was horrible as well; it seemd really amateur and had too many flaws to mention. I couldn't wait for this movie to end while watching it, and I'm definitely not seeing it again anytime soon. EVER.