Movie Review: The Robber
The movie “The Robber” is now available on Netflix streaming. It’s based on the real-life story of a top Austrian runner named Johann Kastenberger (called Johann Rettenberger in the movie), who still holds the record for the Kainach Mountain Marathon (set in 1988). The movie is based on a novel, On The Run, by Martin Prinz.
Kastenberger had a hobby besides running, robbing banks. He was known as “pump-gun Ronnie”, since he used a pump shotgun and wore a Ronald Reagan mask when he committed his crimes. “The Robber” is a German-language film and has been shown at the New York, Berlin, and Toronto Film Festivals to wide acclaim.
In the beginning of “The Robber”, Rettenberger is shown in prison, running in circles around the small exercise yard. When he returns to his cell, he hops on a treadmill and continues running.
Shortly after being released from prison, he starts robbing banks again and competing in marathons. He steals a car, robs a bank, dumps the car, and runs back with his loot. He treats it all like training run, even wearing his heart rate monitor.
Rettenberger is not a sympathetic character. He runs and he steals. That’s about it. After he (spoiler alert) kills his parole officer by hitting him on the head with a race trophy, he’s on the run again, hunted by hundreds of police officers. Will he escape or won’t he?
I’ve embedded the trailer from “The Robber” below. Warning: there is a brief scene involving some nudity in the trailer.
Have you seen “The Robber”? What did you think? Tell me in the comments.
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