Sie möchten Giganten sein

Ein gelungenes Drama über hartnäckige Holzfäller, die nicht nachgegeben haben, obwohl sie dadurch einiges verloren haben. Ihre Ehre ist ihnen aber geblieben. Paul Newman ist sowohl als Schauspieler als auch als Regisseur ausgezeichnet, die Leistung von Henry Fonda muss man nicht ausführlich beschreiben. Das Tempo des Films ist zwar langsam, aber dank ihm wachsen die Figuren dem Publikum ans Herz. Das Ende ist dadurch noch drastischer. (29.05.2016)

Under this uncertain title is a film that allows us to trace how the approach to film material changes in different environments and over time. Today, the same film would probably contain an environmental appeal. Shots of deforested hills, with the remains of former proud forest giants sadly reaching toward the sky, chainsaws and heavy machinery, which complete the work of destruction in a place where virgin nature and impenetrable jungle were not long ago, all contribute to the environmental perspective and condemnation of industrial civilization. In the film, giant logs fall to the ground and an unpleasant feeling arises from the clearings, but Paul Newman evidently pays tribute to the hard and dangerous masculine work of lumberjacks, which exacts a cruel toll. The beginning of the 70s simply did not take some things into account. European cinema would portray a group of lumberjacks in an unfavorable light as selfish strikebreakers who disrupt the principle of solidarity, while the American film comes across as a defense of traditional American individualism, perseverance, determination, and the ability to cope with adversity. In addition to taking place in a significantly atypical environment for American cinema, the film also offers top-notch acting, masculine characters, and a star-studded cast. Overall impression: 80%. (05.11.2014)

A sensitive take on a literary classic that unfolds slowly and you have to find your way to the characters, but as the narrative draws to a close, it grows in emotional intensity. You won't forget the drowning scene for the rest of your life, and the final fuck off is such a sweet, ironic icing that Paul Newman only confirms his status as someone few could match. (30.12.2013)