Kirpianuscus It is not a documentary. or a docu-drama. it is only a decent artistic movie. using well known pieces - from the love story to the conscience of a simple/vulnerable man against a huge system. and , maybe, what you admire about it is the wise balance between what you consider speculations or conspiracy teories and the real events. because the atmosphere is real, and the questions and the desire of war. the only sin - maybe the references to problems familiar for WWII period. but that is not a big mistake. without be great, it is a correct film. with good performances, nice plot and noble message. and that represents more than a virtue.

tomchak This dramatization of "the shot heard round the world," the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, turns the story into a police procedural with at its center an impeccably groomed detective who faces difficulties with the bosses, as is often true with the police procedural. This incorruptible outsider who rides a bike, not a carriage, and doesn't smoke, develops a theory of the assassination that doesn't entirely jibe with the historical reality, but which is very entertaining. Although ten young Serbs were stationed along the Archduque's path, Pfeffer, the hero, finds that they are actually tools of the German and Austrian military, who want to start a war with Serbia. You can imagine how well this goes over. I found myself skeptical, since I remember seeing the museum in Sarajevo glorifying Gavrilo Princip and the movement for Serbian independence. Nonetheless, the movie is beautifully made, with colorful costumes emerging from the shadows of all these conspiracy theories, beautiful horses, old buildings and lovely interiors. There is a romance between the Jewish Pfeffer and a beautiful married Serb heiress to make a change from assassination, torture, and execution. Recommended for lovers of historical costume dramas.

hondbert On the positive side the movie had great costumes, interior and background scenese. On the other hand the story began okay, acting was good but halfway into the movie we get some conspiracy theory shoveled down our throat that feels like modern day leftist propaganda. What do I mean by that? Well the assassination on Archduke was a real conspiracy theory on it's own that has been proved by documents. The Serbian secret organization '' The Black Hand'' wanted the Archduke out of their way because he was very popular among minorities in the empire. He promised more independence and self control for those minorities when he would succeed the throne. If successful the Serbians within the empire would lose their dedication to be united with the Serbian home country in any possible future. Instead this movie propagates at the end that the Austro-Hungarian empire intentionally let the Archduke get assassinated by reducing his security and having coerced the driver by driving straight to Gavrilo Princip's hands. ( even tough in reality it was Ferdinand who suggested to drive back towards the hospital ) All so they and Germany would have a reason to go to war for financial gains. A suggestion is made that they needed Serbia to build the Baghdad-Berlin railroad, in order that oil could be transported from there. It sounds just as ridiculous as the tenacious conspiracy theory that Bush knew Al-Qaida would hit the Twin towers, and ordered the FBI to back down. All so he can declare war for oil profits a two years later. And to back up the veracity of their argument they have the characters say anti-semitic things to the detective who is a Jew converted to Christianity, just to make them extra evil. Yeah sure there were anti-semites back then and now, but come the Austrian officers corps consisted 40% out of Jews because they trusted them more than the countless ethnicities, so it wasn't that bad.

Hidingintheshadows I agree with most of the first review, except that I highly recommend it. It could perhaps be argued that it qualifies as 'historical fiction', but then, so is very much of what actually passes for historical non-fiction-- perhaps better referred to as 'history massaged', after the fact. Not to encourage the so-called 'conspiracy theorists', but fact is that history is replete with examples of history being massaged before the fact. Whether you agree with the premise (I am still checking), fact is that it actually (to my mind, and tastes), is much more engaging than, say pretty much anything that Tom Cruise has done--because this, at least, has a very strong possibility of being not far from the truth.