Ian (Flash Review)Two people wandering through life have their paths cross a couple times and while they have zilch in common, end up being drawn to each other. The film revolves around these two people's peculiar lives. This film is odd. There isn't really any anticipated end goal/event. Some of the dialog is vague and the story felt chopping and the pacing off. There are some very intriguing scenes and dreamy-feeling moments but too many dull stretches. I didn't really like any of the characters. Hard to describe this one. It finally bubbled up to the top of my queue after many years so I can finally check it off my list.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Der Krieger und die Kaiserin" or "The Princess and the Warrior" is a German movie from over 15 years ago written and directed by Tom Tykwer. He made this one 2 years after "Lola rennt" and once again cast Franka Potente, the rising star of German cinema, as the lead character. Tykwer and Potente were still a couple at this point. But this strong relationship did not necessarily result in a good movie this time. I cannot blame Potente though, I would even say she was better in here than in the overrated "Lola rennt". In terms of Benno Fürmann, I am a bit biased as he is far from one of my favorite actors and I don't think he is particularly talented. He cannot convince me otherwise here either. Also I am confused by the film's title. Not only is it fairly pretentious, but it has Fürmann's character first and he is really just a supporting player. It is all about Potente's character from start to finish. "Start to finish" means a massive 125 minutes here, this film makes it past the 2-hour mark, but it is not even close to having the material for this runtime and sadly, this is true for several Tykwer fans. I saw that in his newest film, he worked with Tom Hanks (again). I am genuinely baffled that he is still considered one of Germany's best filmmakers abroad. I have yet to see a movie where he really wows me, especially as a writer.But back to this one here: The story is about a nurse who has a serious accident and a stranger saves her life. As a consequence, she keeps searching for him and when she has found him, she somewhat confesses her affection for him. This is already pretty strange. Can he not just be a good Samaritan without her developing feelings right away. And equally strange is his reaction. He is more interested in committing a crime (Lola reference) than in going on a date with the girl despite how stunning she is. So yeah, he has not much interest, but of course this changes at some point as they had to include a pretty bizarre love story in here too next to the bizarre crime story. This film felt like a weaker version of the Schweiger/Wokalek movie "Barfuss". Tykwer proves again that he struggles a lot with character elaboration and his films are in so many cases examples of style over substance, sometimes hidden between pompous costumes or impressive special effects. But the story-telling comes short and when he really tries it, then the outcome is frequently disappointing. Just like here. Thumbs down for this movie, I do not recommend it and it lacks realism in pretty much all areas. This is nothing that could have happened in real life whatsoever. Not even close.

reviewcentralny If you read this review now, chances are you've seen the The Princess and the Warrior when it came out many years ago. Unless you're reading this to find out whether you should take the plunge and watch a foreign film with subtitles. Short answer, if you have a little time and want to escape into a unique, strange and ultimately inspiring world of Tykwer's imagination - definitely do. Not a short answer...my bad.Very few movies successfully create a powerful atmosphere without messing with your emotions. This film takes its time. Each scene is focused and serves a purpose and what's nice about this particular movie, is that it doesn't indulge in tragedy - this shouldn't be seen as a spoiler, more as an encouragement to watch it - I've seen more than one of the director's early work.With this movie, Tom Tykwer consciously goes beyond the bleak and hopeless reality he creates in 'Die Tödliche Maria' and 'Winterschläfer', or the manic energy of 'Run Lola Run' and introduces you to a flawed, peculiar microcosm of unlikely heroes and fiends. An impressive and gripping scene towards the beginning of the movie will give you a taste of how much he's holding back to tell this unusual story of emancipation and the common underlying question of coincidence versus fate. An artistic, subtle and engaging look into a character's journey through life - twisted, maybe, but never cold or heartless.The soundtrack deserves a mention. Pale 3, three German geniuses had worked together on Tykwer's films before and manage to craft an unusual but intriguing soundtrack which after many years I still enjoy listening to. It helps tell the story with few words and leaves enough space for the viewer's emotion to be part of the movie, without dictating the mood. Why review a film from 2000? Honestly, few take you on an emotional journey as unexpected and rewarding as the Princess and the Warrior - with all its German-ness - you will make you feel good about yourself for having spent an hour and a half with a thought-provoking - and that's kind of my point here - artful movie, that doesn't indulge in violence and tragedy but instead tells a satisfying story in a way that few directors seem to have the financial support, patience or confidence to create anymore.

secondtake The Princess and the Warrior (2000)A fairy tale, as profound as the Grimms and as playful as Anderson, but told with enough gritty realism to avoid pure fantasy. It's creates a sweet spot between believe and make- believe, and the romantic in us wants life to be as full of the kind of possibility, beauty, redemption, and escape (as a last resort) given in this fictional world. The fact that people are miserable most of the time only makes it more pungent and glittering, and the moments of joy rise like, well, the steam from a fresh baked pie. For lack of better metaphor. It's about dreams, and dreams coming true, and sometimes we have to wait for the dreams to see an open door. Surely Potente's character knows about calm, and it's through her odd, almost zen-like inner peace that we see the constant beauty in her life. It's the power of disconnection, but knowing that there is a purpose somewhere and she'll find it. Even her bedroom, in a ward of a hospital, is a chamber within a chamber from the world. Likewise, the lead man, played by the compelling xxx, Accident connects them. Or a seeming accident. It's more like the old/new idea of "fate," where some bigger plan is letting a kind of frequency to find its sympathetic waves. That is, they find each other. They each leave their protective structures and go to heaven (which not by accident, I think, is the name of Tykwer's next film).Director/writer Tom Tykwer's earlier Run Lola Run set the stage for this film in many ways, mostly by opening up a huge audience eager to watch his development. (This alone is some proof that directors still hold their role of leading auteur in contemporary film-making.) The Princess and the Warrior carries the same lead actress (Franka Potente), the same composers (three are credited), and the same cinematographer. In a way, this is like the coterie of huge talent surrounding other auteur directors such as Woody Allen.Not that this is a bit like Woody Allen--there is essentially nothing funny here, though a lightness infuses everything--but it has a nice directorial solidity and consistency. And originality. I have always liked Run Lola Run better (if you haven't seen it) but both of these German films rise about what I remember of Heaven, which is a somewhat Americanized (or neutralized) international film, and made somehow made less peculiar. There is a feel to these films that is deliriously strange, and a mood gets grooving and doesn't let you go. There is a solid plot, but it isn't about plot (we couldn't care less about the bank robbery, I think). It's about that zone the two main characters occupy, of rising above the fray and recognizing what matters and, importantly, taking action on it. It's the woman's persistence against normal good logic that propels the film, and draws us into the higher state of peace it represents.