This doc is very interesting but needs more minutes for a very important story like this.
7 Reviews
Disgusting
BandSAboutMovies3 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In this sickening story, Elisabeth Fritz tells the story of how her father Josef kept her locked in a cellar for 24 years, during which time she gave birth to seven incestuous children before she was eventually freed from a life of beatings, rape and torture,
This is not the strangest tale director David Notman-Watt has created. He also did a TV show with former Happy Mondays frontman, Shaun Ryder, who was abducted by aliens when he was 15 and traveled the world to meet others who had been taken by UFOs.
This is not the strangest tale director David Notman-Watt has created. He also did a TV show with former Happy Mondays frontman, Shaun Ryder, who was abducted by aliens when he was 15 and traveled the world to meet others who had been taken by UFOs.
Oddly bereft of detail or insight
NarcoNelly25 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
For a bit of context, I watched this documentary having never heard of this case before.
I'll just cut to the chase. Generally speaking, this documentary begs so many questions that are never addressed or answered. For starters, logistically, how on earth did Fritzl manage to keep FOUR children underground without anyone noticing? How big was the cellar? How did he feed them? Did he teach them stuff? Did they have radio, television? Could any of them read? Did Elisabeth teach her own children stuff? Childbirth is a loud, messy, life-threatening affair; how did that happen seven times down there? Why were so many family members and neighbors suspicious but so eager to look the other way? Did she try to escape? Did her children? There is some mention that following the discovery of the truth about Elisabeth and her children, "questions" arose about the original investigation into her disappearance; what this investigation entailed or why it may have been viewed as insufficient at the time is not discussed in any meaningful way.
The documentary barely delves into Fritzl as a person, or the circumstances of what was going on in his home. At the end there is a psychiatrist who spouts off a series of hypothetical justifications that fathers may attach to engaging in incest with their children - though a) none of the stuff she says is apparently specific to Frtizl and b) it is pretty clear that incest was a tiny portion of the horrible things wrong with this man. Also, throughout the movie there is a voice-over of an actor reading things that Fritzl presumably said at some point - but under what circumstances? Did he write a tell- all? Was it part of his confession? Trial? This is never made clear, and the answer to that question may very well affect how the listener interprets what he is saying, the veracity of what is being said, or whether what the psychiatrist is saying resonates with any of what Josef apparently said (it doesn't seem to, oddly).
I can see that the filmmakers were, understandably, maybe trying to downplay the sensationalism of this case and rather focus on something else... but what? There are no interesting insights; the whole thing lacks any kind of organizing principle, and I was essentially left wondering what the point of watching it was. I just read the Wikipedia entry after and feel like I learned a lot more.
I'll just cut to the chase. Generally speaking, this documentary begs so many questions that are never addressed or answered. For starters, logistically, how on earth did Fritzl manage to keep FOUR children underground without anyone noticing? How big was the cellar? How did he feed them? Did he teach them stuff? Did they have radio, television? Could any of them read? Did Elisabeth teach her own children stuff? Childbirth is a loud, messy, life-threatening affair; how did that happen seven times down there? Why were so many family members and neighbors suspicious but so eager to look the other way? Did she try to escape? Did her children? There is some mention that following the discovery of the truth about Elisabeth and her children, "questions" arose about the original investigation into her disappearance; what this investigation entailed or why it may have been viewed as insufficient at the time is not discussed in any meaningful way.
The documentary barely delves into Fritzl as a person, or the circumstances of what was going on in his home. At the end there is a psychiatrist who spouts off a series of hypothetical justifications that fathers may attach to engaging in incest with their children - though a) none of the stuff she says is apparently specific to Frtizl and b) it is pretty clear that incest was a tiny portion of the horrible things wrong with this man. Also, throughout the movie there is a voice-over of an actor reading things that Fritzl presumably said at some point - but under what circumstances? Did he write a tell- all? Was it part of his confession? Trial? This is never made clear, and the answer to that question may very well affect how the listener interprets what he is saying, the veracity of what is being said, or whether what the psychiatrist is saying resonates with any of what Josef apparently said (it doesn't seem to, oddly).
I can see that the filmmakers were, understandably, maybe trying to downplay the sensationalism of this case and rather focus on something else... but what? There are no interesting insights; the whole thing lacks any kind of organizing principle, and I was essentially left wondering what the point of watching it was. I just read the Wikipedia entry after and feel like I learned a lot more.
Dokumentarudsendelser as It's worst
masteren1 January 2016
This documentary is very hard to watch. Not only for the story of an evil man, but for the bad work behind the film.
The story has to be told, but not at this way.
Everything in this film is annoying. Not a single name on the interviewed persons. You have to guess who those people is.
When the letters from the daughter Elisabeth is spoken out loud, it is with the most annoying voice, like It's read out by a retarded person. Why? Why can't she sound like a normal person with knowledge?
And there is no in-dept description of the man what so ever.
Maybe some day, the story will be told in a good and understandable way, to enlighten us all. This day is not here yet.
The story has to be told, but not at this way.
Everything in this film is annoying. Not a single name on the interviewed persons. You have to guess who those people is.
When the letters from the daughter Elisabeth is spoken out loud, it is with the most annoying voice, like It's read out by a retarded person. Why? Why can't she sound like a normal person with knowledge?
And there is no in-dept description of the man what so ever.
Maybe some day, the story will be told in a good and understandable way, to enlighten us all. This day is not here yet.
Read an article about this instead
blondalol19 November 2018
Just a very poorly made documentary. This film not only manages to avoid answering every question the audience might have, it also manages to avoid having any interesting insight on this case.
Wouldn't recommend it, go read an article about it instead.
Wouldn't recommend it, go read an article about it instead.
Terrifying
gavin694227 August 2015
Interviews with family members, doctors and victims of 73-year-old Josef Fritzl, who held his daughter captive in a basement for 24 years and fathered seven children with her.
We often think the worst crime is murder, which would make serial killers the ultimate in evil. But this documentary shows us that we are wrong. Even if Fritzl never killed anyone (though it seems he did at least once), he is the worst kind of monster. A rapist, a kidnapper, someone capable of the worst kind of incest.
If this has not yet been turned into a movie, it will be. A fuller documentary might also be nice. This one is excellent, but it seems that there is still more to the story out there.
We often think the worst crime is murder, which would make serial killers the ultimate in evil. But this documentary shows us that we are wrong. Even if Fritzl never killed anyone (though it seems he did at least once), he is the worst kind of monster. A rapist, a kidnapper, someone capable of the worst kind of incest.
If this has not yet been turned into a movie, it will be. A fuller documentary might also be nice. This one is excellent, but it seems that there is still more to the story out there.
good
englishconversation18 August 2015
we occasionally find interesting plots of German movies, even low- budget. some of the main characters justify themselves in the context of the contemporary Germany. The plot is interesting but the sequence of events is a bit confusing. Occasionally in Germany these things happen but not often. The Germans are a great people. Certainly worth watching but writing a reviewing is more difficult when you write it at 5am. With time I believe this movie will grow in stature. Well worth the accolades. Consistently, this movie does not attract the claim that it justifies. Well done to all concerned. Wonderful plot which develops in crescendo as time passes. In this type of genre it can't be beaten
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