Watch Max Schmeling For Free

How sad is this?

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Max Schmeling is certainly a candidate for such a description. Then there is also the likes of Beckenbauer, Nowitzki, Schumacher, Becker and maybe a handful more. So many will probably not be too amused to hear that Uwe Boll is the director who made this film. However, I have to say I was very positively surprised by the outcome. The fact that Henry Maske (one of Germany's greatest boxers of all time himself) played Schmeling did not hurt the film at all, even if Maske had no real acting experience. A brave choice and a successful one. Maske was up to 15 years older than Schmeling when he played him in the film, but also this is not a problem at all. Also all the other boxers in the film with ring action are played by professional boxers such as Artur Abraham.As it is been so long since Schmeling's peak, people today know hardly nothing about him. A shame. And this film educates us on an athlete who does not deserve to be forgotten. For example that his name as a fighter was Black Uhlan of the Rhine. The film plays at wartime, but it's really much more about Schmeling's career than about politics, although we, of course, find out about Schmeling's attitude towards the Nazis who glorified him after he bet the Negro Louis and forgot him after he lost to Louis. It's interesting to watch Schmeling's struggles as he still was not fully accepted as a champion due to the way he won his first big fight (an illegal punch by his opponent). Only knockouts or really long fights counted as worthy back in the day. Another big part of the film is about Schmeling's long-lasting relationship with actress Anny Ondra.The most interesting way to watch this film is obviously if you don't know anything about the way Schmeling's big fights ended, especially those against Louis, but it's equally a great watch for those with an interest in the world of boxing. Certainly recommended. I have not seen too much from Boll, but this is certainly a pretty good movie, possibly his best.

I got this movie in a video store bargain bin as an used copy. The cover was appealing as i am interested in WW2 and i like boxing as well. Then it was in my shelve for a while as i was intending to watch it with my cousin who likes both subject as well. But then at some point i decided to watch it anyway, and realize it was sporting the name of ... UWE BOLL on it. Oh boy... i decided to put it in the shelve and include it in my next pawnshop movie sell(i do that once in a while as i buy pretty much all my movies used in video store, i don't rent much and i hate video on demand) So as i was making my movie pile for the pawnshop, i decided i should at least give it a go, after all, my Boll hate comes mostly from him destroying video game licences and i actually did enjoy Rampage.The movie is in German, but i choose to watch it English dubbed. I am not a fan of English dubbed, but i tough it was rather OK in this, the voices didn't bother me too much. I come from a french province so i am used to french dubbing, but not English ones. Anyway yes the acting was so-so, but not that bad. I could get into the movie. I think his boxing years where pretty well done, the fights whee numerous and entertaining, i was actually surprised. I think the war segments and how the Nazis saw him could had been way better done, but then again it was not the point of the movie per say.Overall i am surprised... its a decent movie, even tough its made to by Boll. Got to give credit where its due, I'm sure if the movie would had been dubbed in french i would had even more fun watching it. There is nothing spectacular but the movie don't feel too cheap or whatever and i didn't knew Max Schmelling at all, so now i want to look him up on wikipedia.So yeah, i liked the movie. Will i keep it or pawnshop it? I dunno yet, it was way better than expected.

I find it reprehensible that the prejudice against Uwe Boll disallows some so-called critics from giving his films a fair review.This film was very nicely done, and tells an enthralling story about boxing great Max Schmeling, who was a great gentleman and human being.Schmeling himself endorsed the film, and I found it very informative and enjoyable to watch.Henry Maske is especially memorable in the title role. He is very sympathetic, funny, and believable. His supporting cast members are also very good.I'm sure the film could have been better by including more details such as Schmeling's bout with Max Baer, his later friendship and support of Joe Louis, and his rise to wealth after boxing, but this film purposely is about the contrast between the real Max Schmeling and the Nazi perception of him as their Aryan warrior.In that intent it succeeds well.

I enjoyed this movie because it related the struggles of a man who was first a good sport and a gentleman. He was a boxer but not a violent person. While that might sound like a contradiction, in his case he was a gentleman who had no hostility toward anyone unless they were in the boxing ring. Out of the ring he truly cared for people. He may actually have been a bit naive where it came to understanding the Nazi mindset. It almost cost him his life. He managed to be himself through the whole Nazi reign of terror and eventually became an asset to his homeland which was in great need of healing after the war.The proof that he cared for others is in the fact he rescued a father and sons during the kristallnacht event. And after his death he left his entire estate to charity. It was a sizable sum as he was a notable business man with Coca-Cola in Germany. His mansion is now the embassy for the Libyan ambassador.The acting was not on Oscar level, but that didn't ruin the movie for me. I rented the DVD for the story and it did a good job of delivering that. As someone with ancestry from Germany I take heart in the fact there were many Germans who did not support the Nazis. They are given very little notice which is to me, most unfair. My ancestors came to America in 1732, the sons married all German descent wives until my father married my Irish mother in 1945. So I have a great deal of German background.I will confess it was the title that caught my eye at the rental place. I wanted to learn what this movie had to say about a man who became a hero to his homeland.There was so much turmoil during Max's life. It pleases me to learn he became successful after the war. He was a thoughtful and generous man known to help others. He stayed friendly toward Joe Louis and even arranged meetings and later helped Joe get a respectful burial.Max's clean life style and generosity toward others paid well. He lived to be a ripe old 99.I rated this movie a 7 not due to the acting, it wasn't as bad as some suggest, but rather because it did a good job of telling the story of a man who remained true to self and did not bend to those who he knew were wrong.