Product Details

• Actors: Norman Reedus, Christian von Aster, André Hennicke, Waltraud Witte, Konstantin Graudus
• Directors: Christian Alvart
• Format: Color, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), German (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Dark Sky Films
• DVD Release Date: August 28, 2007
• Run Time: 128 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000QFCDCW
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,596 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #41 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Original Language > German
  #64 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Genre > Mystery & Suspense

• For more information about "Antibodies (Two-Disc Special Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Pedophilia, serial murder, Catholic guilt, big-time Biblical imagery: director Christian Alvart bites on some serious issues in Antibodies, but for the most part it's not more than he can chew. Produced in 2005, the German film opens with a riveting sequence in which Gabriel Engel (Andre Hennicke), who has raped, killed, and mutilated more than a dozen young boys, is finally captured by the police. Enter Michael Martens (Wotan Wilke Mohring), a part-time policeman (and full-time farmer) in Herzbach, a small country town where a crime with an M.O. similar to Engel's has taken place (in investigating the incident, the rigid and humorless Martens has so alienated his fellow townsfolk that his own father-in-law shoots his dog). Marten comes to the city to interview the bad guy, whereupon a relationship heavily reminiscent of the Hannibal Lecter-Clarice Starling pas de deux in The Silence of the Lambs evolves; Engel, a stereotypical lunatic who dismisses Jack the Ripper and Charles Manson as wusses, will talk only to the guileless country cop (who undergoes some fairly radical changes as he succumbs to the lurid temptations of big city life). But are the killer's denials of responsibility for this latest atrocity true? Could Martens' own son, the trouble-prone Christan (Hauke Diekamp), be the actual perp? To find the answer, viewers are obliged to wade through some pretty heavy-handed scenes (a symbolic re-enactment of the Biblical tale of Abraham and Isaac is fairly ludicrous). But Antibodies is also filled with gorgeous and creative cinematography and stylish use of lighting, art direction, and set design, all of which help make the film eminently watchable. This two-disc special edition includes a "making of" documentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, and other bonus features. --Sam Graham

Product Description

Studio: Mpi Home Video Release Date: 08/28/2007 Run time: 128 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, But Not For Everybody, September 19, 2007

By	W. Scott Heitman (Gainesville, Fl United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First things first- don't read the amazon description above; it absolutely spoils everything up to the final 10 minutes of the movie. If you like suspense at all, resist the urge to look up.

On to the film- I've seen some films with narrow audiences, but this takes the cake. The film has the most to offer to somebody who values the Old Testament (specifically Christians and Jews) due to the number of OT references along with a couple of NT refs. Thematically, the film explores some of the more troubling concepts in Christianity, especially.

What, you say? There are plenty of Christians and Jews. Well, all of the philosophy and theology is heavily wrapped up in one of the most graphic serial killer films to come around in some time. Not only are there some graphic images (grisly stuff as well as a pretty graphic sex scene), the language invites even worse images than appear on screen.

So for the Christian or Jew that can get past the above, this is an extremely interesting film. Come for a psychological thriller with superlative acting and cinematography, stay for the way the director plays with Biblical concepts and forces you to think.

Finally, I'll say 1 more thing for those who are still on the fence. The film begins with a quote from Dostoevsky. In retrospect, the choice is incredibly apt; I feel that Dostoevsky could have written this had he lived now. If the names Ivan and Raskolnikov bring forth positive memories, then you're in for a treat.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DISTURBING PSYCHO-THRILLER....., August 30, 2007

By	Mark Norvell (HOUSTON) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This taut German made thriller starts out with a heart-pounding bang then kind've settles down into a war of mind games between an urban serial killer of children and a very disturbed rural cop. Not as gory as the beginning, "Antibodies" is still graphic and disturbing due to the dialogue and descriptions of the crimes and just enough visuals to clue you in that the killings were horrendous. There's also some fairly graphic sex and nudity. The killer really does a psychological number on the cop by apparently convincing him that evil is contagious and leading him into psychological traps that have frustrating and sometimes violent resolutions. The cop lives on a farm and has an unhappy marriage and two kids, one of whom is a 13 year old boy showing signs of "evil starting small". Or is he just a troubled soul like his dad? The acting is first rate and the photography is beautiful juxtaposing simple country life with big city coldness. Lags in places but overall engrossing and not for the squeamish. There are some scenes that I found too unpleasant involving animals so animal lovers beware. But for lovers of graphic psycho crime thrillers, "Antibodies" is an intriguing story to experience. Disc two is a "making of..." feature and other related extras. The print is excellent. Not a bad package for the price. Dark Sky has done a good job here.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If there is no God, everything is allowed, September 27, 2008

By	C. Christopher Blackshere "Mackshere" (stalking you from the shadows) - See all my reviews

This is broooootal super sick stuff! Harsh, relentless, disturbing. One of the most startling psychological horror flicks in recent years. Called Germany's Silence of the Lambs.

Berlin police arrest a deranged psychopath suspected of molesting and killing 13 children. This sadistic freak's name is Gabriel, and he refuses to speak to anyone except Michael Martens, an honorable officer from a small town. As his reasons for this becomes evident, your comfort level will get severely rattled. The prisoner knows some unsettling secrets about Michael's son, and the truth will envoke rage and fear from all that are exposed.

Antibodies is superbly directed and acted. It deals with some harsh topics that obviously won't appeal to many viewers. But in reality, evil knows no boundaries. More gruesome, twisted, and real than many care to endure.


Evil is a virus. It's highly contagious, and you're already infected...