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THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR

"Wounded Hearts"

What You Need To Know:

THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR is a German movie written and directed by Tom Tykwer, who also did the critically acclaimed RUN LOLA RUN in 1999. In the story, Franka Potente, the star of RUN LOLA RUN, plays Sissi, a shy nurse in a psychiatric ward. When a young thief saves her life, Sissi becomes obsessed with her mysterious benefactor and sets out on a mission to find him. She wants to know whether their paths crossed through simple blind chance or some kind of destiny.

The premise of THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR is that romantic love heals wounded hearts. Both Franka Potente as Sissi and Benno Fürmann as Bodo create sympathy for these two wounded misfits. The director allows their story to play out slowly, keeping viewers guessing as to where his movie is heading. The movie appears to have a solid romantic worldview, however, despite its positive moral elements. There are also some strong obscenities, a brief sexual scene and brief naturalistic nudity. Finally, although Bodo does not really get away with the big crime he and his brother try to commit, Sissi does help him escape from the police dragnet

Content:

(RoRo, B, C, LLL, VV, S, N, A, D, M) Romantic worldview with some moral moments when people help other people or stop violence, plus brief Christian funeral; 25 obscenities & 1 mild profanity (“My God”); truck accident, man performs tracheotomy on screen, man punches nurse, man pushes woman to ground, woman commits suicide when she blows up gas pump with her cigarette, man shot in stomach, attempted electrocution, & man destroys TV set in anger, forcing attendants to put him in a straitjacket; brief implied sex scene; brief rear nudity; alcohol use; smoking; and, attempted bank robbery & woman hides man from police.

More Detail:

Two years ago, a new, 34-year-old German director, Tom Tykwer, surprised critics and audiences with a post-modern crime thriller titled RUN LOLA RUN. Shot and edited in a unique, frenetic style, it became the biggest foreign language movie at the American box office in 1999.

Now, Tykwer returns with another quirky post-modern thriller, THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR. The movie stars Franka Potente, the star of RUN LOLA RUN. She plays a shy nurse, Sissi, in a psychiatric ward. While taking a blind patient on a walk through the city, she accidentally gets hit by a speeding truck. Although she has no external injuries to speak of, the accident knocks the air completely out of her lungs. Bodo, a young thief running from his latest victims, hides under the truck, however. When he sees that Sissi can’t breathe, he performs a tracheotomy on her chest, then disappears without a trace.

Obsessed by her mysterious benefactor, Sissi sets out on a mission to find him. She wants to know whether their paths crossed through simple blind chance or some kind of destiny. When she finally does find Bruno, however, he wants nothing to do with her. It becomes obvious that Bodo and his brother, Walter, are planning some big crime, probably at the bank where Walter works as a security guard. Also, the movie also reveals that Bodo’s heart has been wounded by a past tragedy, a circumstance with which Sissi empathizes because she is herself a lonely orphan.

The premise of THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR is that romantic love heals wounded hearts. Bodo is always running from himself and his past, as well as from the law. Though she commands intense affection from some of her patients, Sissi is looking for a life beyond the crazy ward where she works. Both Franka Potente as Sissi and Benno Fürmann as Bodo create sympathy for these two wounded misfits. The director allows their story to play out slowly, keeping viewers guessing as to where his movie is heading.

THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR is shot in a more traditional manner than RUN LOLA RUN, so the secular movie critics, who value the new above the old, including the old fashioned, may not find it as much to their liking. It is a more successful work, however, because the male criminal in the story is a more sympathetic, better developed character. The fusion of his criminal world with Sissi’s world in the psychiatric ward adds a new, interesting dimension.

This movie appears to have a solid romantic worldview, however, despite some positive moral elements. There are also a significant number of strong obscenities, a brief sexual scene and brief naturalistic nudity. In addition, some of the patients at the mental word where Sissi works have disturbing problems. Finally, although Bodo does not really get away with the big crime he and his brother try to commit, Sissi does help him escape from the police dragnet.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.