Strike

By Ed Hulse -- Video Business, 10/1/2007

DOKUMENT/MPI
Available now
> Solidly entertaining inspirational film will have specialized appeal.

Director Volker Schlöndorff takes a leisurely, episodic approach to telling the story of Polish shipyard worker Agnieszka Kowalska (effectively played by Katharina Thalbach), whose activism led to the rise of the Solidarity movement and, ultimately, to the elimination of Soviet influence. Although many critics have chided Schloendorff for playing fast and loose with historical facts, Strike succeeds as drama because he successfully captures the David-and-Goliath nature of this great ideological conflict.

Shelf Talk: Although Strike would have much greater resonance among Continental viewers, it deserves exposure here. The subtitles and unfamiliar cast members won’t help the film’s domestic prospects, though, and while it won Bavarian Film Awards for Best Actress and Best Cinematography, the fact that it only eked out $8,900 in ticket sales during a token theatrical release earlier this year certainly doesn’t bode well. Still, it has the potential to perform well in cosmopolitan areas and college towns if it’s promoted a bit.

Foreign-language drama, color, NR (mature themes, language), 104 min., German and Polish with English subtitles, DVD $19.98
Extras: none
Director: Volker Schlöndorff
First Run: L, July 2007, <$1 mil.