Die rote Jacke

We watched this recently in one of my film school classes and I was greatly impressed. The story is very simple and told in a highly visual style. There is almost no dialogue, which makes this originally German film accessible to non-German speakers like many of my classmates. I was instantly engrossed in the film, from the opening images of the aftermath of a traffic accident. The story is well-paced and not overbearing, as student films have a tendency to be. The photography is nice and even beautiful in several places, but it is never distracting and the story is always the focus. Excellent work.

This is a filmmaker to keep an eye on.

It is a great film. You know this because, after its end, the only fair reaction is the deep silence. It is precise crafted, moment bz moment, offers a simple storz, who you feel being real not realistic, proposes amazing performance of young Nikola Jankovic , reminds the war in its brutal naked aspects and it is reflection of direct truth.

And this makes it not exaclz a magnificent film but an experience, very personal , proved by the whole inspired end.

A father lost his son in a car accident.

A Bosnian boy losts his parents in atack of one of armies.

But he survives, is saved, goes from hospital, his life is saved second time.

A red jacket is the link between characters, dramas and the seed of second chance.

So, only/ just a great film.

A masterpiece ? No doubts, it represents more than that.

I never want to see this film again. I cannot watch this film ever again. Instead, I want everyone else, including you and all your relatives and friends and every politician and their advisors to see it. It should be mandatory viewing in schools everywhere, in every country, especially for 12-15 year olds so they are welded to realising the utter useless ridiculousness of old men's war, what it causes to happen to children and what it makes young soldiers do. I saw it packaged as a short film fest at Sydney's Bondi Beach outdoor cinema one breathtaking summer night. We all walked in chatting and laughing and ready for Internation short film fest. Then, after two claymation funnies, came this film THE RED JACKET. The complete and utter collapse of 300 hearts was heard across the park, only to be followed by breathless silence and truly genuine tears of every emotion. I have no idea what films followed, I like everyone else there was absolutely shattered by this neat 20 minute dialogue free film that simply presented a storyline with bullseye precision. And then reaffirmed the generosity of the human spirit. Who made this film? (It is German) why are these geniuses not celebrated at Oscar time and promoted as the real international talent they clearly are. I do not want to see 'worthy' cinema, and I shudder at media superlatives and I am very aware of what I am writing here. I am raving about this perfect short film, what it delivers and what it has to say about a recent war in Europe. I do not want my heart broken in some fake or contrived cruel movie. This film is not that. This film delivered exactly what I suspected was real, but did it in such a way that I will never forget. If you have to ask a German film consulate to find it, do so. But I saw THE RED JACKET and you should too. This film is a genuine, succinct, perfectly realised cinema masterpiece. It has everything in it that I would avoid if I had any idea of what it contained. Find it, watch it yourself and then just hand it to others - but don't prepare them. Let me just finally say that if each generation of impressionable teens was shown this film, instead of Hollywood gun fun, we would finally generate the politicians of the future who would avoid warfare forever. I saw THE RED JACKET two years ago. It has taken me until now to write about it. Sounds ridiculous and over emotional but every word of what I have written is here should not put you off.

The story of how tragedy eventually can lead to hope and salvation. The problem here is there is no way to get this thru the imdb edits without telling the story. Boy is hit and dies, his grieving father is given the jacket he was wearing at the time of his death. The father is heartbroken and gives the jacket to charity so that it can help someone else and he doesn't have to be reminded of his loss. From there, the jacket virtually takes on a life of it's own and thru another tragedy, the jacket is eventually returned to the father in a very ironic twist of fate that is incredibly heartwarming.