Product Details

• Actors: Franka Potente, Benno Fürmann, Joachim Król, Lars Rudolph, Melchior Beslon
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Subtitles: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: June 25, 2002
• Run Time: 133 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005U8QU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,800 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

Two damaged people-a sweet-tempered nurse (Franka Potente) who lives and works in a psychiatric ward and a surly tough guy (Benno Fürmann) mysteriously waylaid by sadness-are drawn together, seemingly by fate. But isn't fate just another name for an overlapping pattern of need and desire? Writer-director Tom Tykwer, who earlier made "Run Lola Run," works less kinetically this time. He varies the tempo: there are meditative passages punctuated by abrupt outbreaks of emotion-a mesmerizing new style that draws us into mysteries in an intuitive rather than explicit way. A strange, accomplished, and, finally, touching romantic drama. In German. -David Denby
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

From the Back Cover

From the director, Tom Tykwer, and star Franka Potente of the internationally acclaimed, fast-paced smash hit Run Lola Run comes a startling, fresh and compelling romantic drama that will leave you breathless. When shy, beautiful nurse Sissi is the victim of a horrible car accident, a handsome small-time criminal miraculously saves her life. When she recovers, Sissi sets out to find him and discovers a violent man with a conflicted past and dangerous future. Soon, the two meet again in the middle of a deadly bank robbery, and Sissi realizes her fate is pre-destined-or is it?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This movie is among the top five ever made, March 24, 2005

By 

Drake-by-the-Lake "movie critic" (State of Euphoria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Princess and the Warrior (DVD)

"Princess" triggered the old water works, by no means an easy feat with me. I was in Blockbuster recently and the checkout guy told me I was renting out my 500th video. That made me feel vaguely ashamed, considering that most movies are junk. Every once in a while though, we discover a gem that justifies all the crapola that insults our intelligence. This is one such gem. Look at my other reviews; I don't hand out five stars all that often. Instead, I usually trash movies, as most of 'em deserve.

Besides the very moving scenes that will raise goosebumps on anybody with a pulse, what I love about this film is the originality and meticulous care and planning that went into every aspect. I have never seen a movie remotely like this. The language barrier (German) was rapidly overcome by the expressive acting, so universal that a person of any land can understand. The nurse (the same actress who played in "Run, Lola, Run", a good film also) is easily among the best actresses in the world.

[WARNING-PLOT ELEMENTS REVEALED IN THIS PARAGRAPH.] In a nutshell, a thief saves the life of a nurse during a traffic accident. Then he exits from her life. After her recovery, she returns to her rather boring passionless life at a psychiatric hospital, but she cannot overcome her longing for this mysterious man. Next begins her struggle to find, and once finding, to win over this indifferent, hostile warrior who is tormented by nightly visitations from a dead girlfriend.

Now I will place a little caveat here. I loaned this out to a Mormon acquaintance and all she could say was how horrified she was that the nurse performs a sexual act which she judged gratuitous. If that sort of thing bothers you, definitely avoid. Look at Linda Linguvic's review below. She is a "Top 50" reviewer as I write this, so obviously many people share her "aversions" to "strange" movies. I am only a "top 32,000" reviewer and receive a large proportion of "Not Helpful" votes from people who disagree with me. But this movie made me cry, and I can count the movies that do that on one hand, and I have watched thousands.

If Hollywood's formula drivel leaves you cold, and you like Romance, then give this German gem a spin.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful..., March 7, 2002

By 

dreadful light (Nicholasville, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Princess and the Warrior (DVD)

I never saw the thrill of 'Run Lola Run.' To me, it was trying a little too hard to be hip, and not really succeeding.

'Princess and the Warrior,' however, is a different story. Both visually breathtaking and thought provoking, the film brings up questions about love, death, and destiny. Franka Potente is absolutely stunning in her role as a sheltered nurse who pursues the man who saved her life . . . and who appears in her dreams.

Many people are reluctant to watch a foreign film, uneasy with having to read and watch at the same time. Yet when the foreign film is excellent, something magical happens. You forget that you're reading at all.

'Princess and Warrior' is one of those films.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lola Slows Down..., July 25, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

...but that does not stop this film from being very well done. America we have got to embrace Tom Tykwer! This man makes tantalizing motion pictures. The Princess and the Warrior is not like Run Lola Run so for viewers caught up in the hype of that film you may be disappointed, but you should not be. This film lives up to it's hype and is another beautiful puzzle from the world of Tykwer.

Franka Potente plays a nurse working in a mental hospital when fate, and a horrific accident, brings Bodo into her life. He is a troubled man, who's anguish over his past has left him on the edge of insanity. Actually there is really no reason to say more. So many things in this film come full circle it is better to not dicuss them, but there are chases, guns, a bank robbery, love, and death. The simple twists give the movie depth and keep it engaging from start to finish. That and it is a visual masterpiece. There are shots in this movie I have never seen before. Additionally the transitions are innovative and, of course, the music is awesome. Potente and Benno Furmann are exceptional in the lead roles both giving layer upon layer to their complex characters.

This movie was so well writen and directed by Tykwer. He just seems to make the impossible possible. If you liked Run Lola Run you should see this film and if you didn't see Lola you should. Then see this and also Winter Sleepers, another Tykwer film. All of them are unique pictures. Upon watching them people will understand why this guy is one of the most talented new filmmakers in the world.