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Ninth Day, The
EMAILPRINTKino International Corp.

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 16 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 9 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama | Foreign | War
Written by:
Eberhard Görner
Andreas Pflüger
Directed by: Volker Schlöndorff
Release Date:
Theatrical: May 27, 2005
Running Time: 98 minutes, Color
Origin: Germany / Luxembourg
Language(s): German / French (with English subtitles)
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Ulrich Matthes, August Diehl, Hilmar Thate, Bibiana Beglau, Germain Wagner, Jean-Paul Raths, Ivan Jirik, and Karel Hromadka
The agonizing tale, based on a true story, of a young Catholic Priest who is incarcerated in the Dachau concentration camp.
Also On Metacritic
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Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
This is moviemaking on the highest dramatic, psychological, and moral plane.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White
The dark, rotting interiors and sunless winter skies create a festering atmosphere of unexpiated guilt as Kremer ponders the question of how a decent man is to navigate the rivers of hell.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps
It's important for the film to establish the concentration camp as a hell on earth from the start, but Schlöndorff has more in mind than creating another reminder of the inhumanity of fascism.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Ella Taylor
A morally complex and emotionally satisfying drama about the vagaries of Catholic response to the Third Reich.
Read Full Review >Variety Derek Elley
A thoughtfully written drama of ideas with vivid performances by August Diehl and Ulrich Matthes.
Read Full Review >New York Post V.A. Musetto
It doesn't measure up to Schlondorff's 1979 Oscar winner, "The Tin Drum," but it's compelling nevertheless.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Dana Stevens
Succeeds in illuminating an almost unimaginably dark story.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
Like Costa-Gavras's "Amen." (2002), this German drama uses a true story to examine the Catholic church's response to the Holocaust, but it focuses less on institutional politics than on personal conscience and responsibility.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Marta Barber
The Ninth Day is far from perfect, but is still thought-provoking and intriguing, a film that can begin its own kind of debate.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ken Fox
A grim meditation on faith and betrayal that focuses on a relatively obscure corner of Holocaust history: the fate of the Catholic clergy under the Third Reich.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
The film is thought-provoking but not terribly involving.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Michael Atkinson
Plays best as a dry exercise in historical doublespeak and rationalization.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Achy Obejas
Though The Ninth Day longs for a grander scope, it never lifts much beyond Kremer's personal dilemma.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan
Plays more like a philosophical debate than a war drama.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Lyna H. gave it an8:
Very emotional, and informative.
Fernando C. gave it a9:
Very inspiring movie, about true values, faithfulness, courage, virtue in general. This is what many holy priests have done, and their lives continue to be a source of inspiration for many.
Gerald B. gave it a10:
A courageous film boasting an extraordinary performance by Ulrich Matthes, one of Germany's best actors. This is not just another concentration camp film; its focus is on a rarely mentioned persecuted group of prisoners— Catholic priests who refused to accept the Nazi political, ethical perspective and actively worked against it.
Gert gave it a9:
A stunning performance. Framed in an historically authentic setting, the philosopical ideas espoused and argued by the protagonists,the and ethical choices open to them, draw the audience into the film. A profoundly thoughtful film.
howard b. gave it a9:
Powerful, thought-provoking film that explores the priest's personal dilemma as well as the larger issue of church-nazi relations.
Josh E. gave it a7:
Although a powerful subject, the story only glosses over the effects of being released from hell and knowing you may return in a few days. Powerful acting by the same man who played a villian in DOWNFALL.
