The Ninth Day (Der neunte Tag) (2004)

82% of critics liked it
(34 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(977 ratings)

Acclaimed filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff directed this story of a war of words between a Nazi soldier and a man of the cloth. In 1942, Henri Kremer (Ulrich Matthes) is a Catholic priest who, like three thousand other Catholic clergymen, has been sent to the Dachau prison camp by Nazi authorities for… More Acclaimed filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff directed this story of a war of words between a Nazi soldier and a man of the cloth. In 1942, Henri Kremer (Ulrich Matthes) is a Catholic priest who, like three thousand other Catholic clergymen, has been sent to the Dachau prison camp by Nazi authorities for espousing his faith and speaking out against the Axis leadership. Shortly after Kremer receives word that his mother has passed away, he's pulled from the ranks at the camp and sent to Luxembourg, where he used to live and lead a congregation. While Kremer at first believes his well-connected family has arranged for his release, he soon finds this is not the case -- Untersturmfuehrer Gebhardt (August Diehl), a ranking member of the Gestapo, informs Kremer that he's been given a nine-day respite from the camp for a special assignment. Kremer is well acquainted with Bishop Philipp (Hilmar Thate), leader of Luxembourg's Catholic community, and the Nazis want the bishop to sign a letter pledging full cooperation with German authorities, something he has been unwilling even to discuss. Gebhardt wants Kremer to persuade the bishop to sign the document; if Kremer fails to meet this goal, he's told 18 priests from Luxembourg currently in Dachau will all be killed. What Gebhardt prefers not to mention is that if he can't find a way to secure the bishop's cooperation, he'll be transferred from his comfortable post to a death camp in Eastern Europe. Der Neunte Tag was based on the true story of Luxembourg priest Father Jean Bernard, who wrote of his experiences in the book Pfarrerblock Z4587. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Volker Schlöndorff
Written By: Volker Schlöndorff, Eberhard Gorner, Andreas Pfluger
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 27, 2005 Wide
On DVD: Dec 6, 2005
Studio: Kino International

Critic Reviews

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Plays more like a philosophical debate than a war drama.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
An accomplished, confident work.
Michael Booth, Denver Post
It just feels like too much over too little.
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
Schlondorff draws a telling picture of the ravished moral landscape that kept the wheels of the Holocaust turning.
Derek Elley, Variety
A thoughtfully written drama of ideas with vivid performances by August Diehl and Ulrich Matthes.
Achy Obejas, Chicago Tribune
A film that strives for meaning and resonance but doesn't quite work.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
Impressively tackles the enduring dilemma inherent in dramatically depicting the enormous horror of the Nazi death camps, and meeting that challenge, oddly enough, in tacit admission of the very impossibility of that task.
Erica Abeel, Film Journal International
This powerful film celebrates individual acts of conscience in barbarous times.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A fresh way to illuminate another worthy dark Holocaust story.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
A morality thriller filled with heavy-handed allusions to the betrayal of Judas Iscariot.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
This low-key, talky Holocaust drama doesn't try to pummel viewers with visuals of the Nazis' atrocities, but what is described in dialogue is tough enough.
Laura Kelly, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Dark and depressing as the film is, it is thrilling to watch Henri work through his moral qualms as he battles the smooth tongue of evil.
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times
It's no wonder Schlöndorff favors close-ups; with Mattes on screen, The Ninth Day gets right to its emotional core.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The dark, rotting interiors and sunless winter skies create a festering atmosphere of unexpiated guilt as Kremer ponders the question of how a decent man is to navigate the rivers of hell.
Marta Barber, Miami Herald
The Ninth Day is far from perfect, but is still thought-provoking and intriguing, a film that can begin its own kind of debate.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
The film's effectiveness hinges almost entirely on the performance of Matthes.
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
The film's star ... is Diehl, who perfectly captures the banality of evil inherent in Nazism. Villains are great characters, and Diehl's Gebhardt is terrific.