When Thomas, a penniless war veteran, provides aid to business entrepreneur Ali, a drunken driver who has crashed his car, he is offered a job by way of thanks. Thomas soon finds himself immersed in a steamy affair with Ali's wife, setting off an unexpected chain of events. As a film, Jerichow is a bit of an oddity. Ostensibly, it's a thriller, but it doesn't have much in the way of thrills. It also includes a passionate romance, but isn't particularly sexy. It does, however, have excellent performances from the three leads, a minimalism that is sort of intriguing, and a couple of unforeseen twists at the end that make things interesting.

It is to Christian Petzold's credit that over the course of his career he has so lovingly re-worked some American movies into films that manage to retain themes but modulate them into something altogether unique from the sources of origin. This is clever new take on "The Postman Always Rings Twice." I do not know for sure, but I would suspect Petzold is reworking the 1981 film remake than the original 1940's Film Noir or the infamous novel. The key is that it doesn't really matter. A Hollywood idea has been re-booted to serve as societal commentary regarding modern Germany. Everything from trying to regain footing after serving in a pointless war to attempting to lead a rewarding life without crime to the racism regarding immigrants and immigration -- all support the tawdry plot. Unlike Hollywood of the 1940's or 1980's -- this film is not consumed with eroticism. You may not notice it until after you step away, but this is actually an adult study of loneliness, isolation and the human need for hope. This film is not as stylized as one might expect, but it is surprisingly realistic and entertaining.

This was a compelling movie that had me guessing until the end. The two German characters were great in the silent unhappiness they conveyed in their characters. When you watch two attractive people drawn together by sexual and emotional needs, it is understandable they would get together. In addition, these two characters are so much alike in every way. For me, the person who made the movie was the Turk-German character, Ali, played by Hilmi Sozer. He was the emotional glue that made this movie work. I was drawn to his portrayal of the character because of the complexities he had to face as an outsider. Ali was born in Turkey but grew up in Germany. He aspired for the things immigrants want living in a Western country but can't get away from his anger of not always being accepted. It was because of Mr. Sozer acting that made me really enjoy the film. Yes, both the male and female Germans were nice to look at and understood where they were coming from in terms of their troubled background. However, it was Mr. Sozer who carried the film. He made the character vulnerable which endeared him to me.

I would certainly rather watch Postman simply because it is more exciting however Jerichow possibly has a greater sense of humanity and it is more applicable to this generation. Especially contemporary Germany.

Vähän niinku keskimääräistä parempi tv-elokuva.

Slow to the point of 1h30 min lasting as long as 3h. Was there a phrase or a scene in the movie that did not have a money value assigned to it?

As a result of "dance" or because of loneliness......

Sans doute pas le meilleur film de son auteur mais toujours cette façon singulière de faire des thrillers. Toujours beaucoup de silence(s), d'ellipses, de travail d'imagination laisse au spectateur... Même si à la fin on se dit qu'on n'a pas necessairement vu grand chose se passer devant nos yeux, on a ete envoute. Du moins, c'est ce qui se passe pour moi devant chaque nouveau film de Christian Petzold.

The Delivery Driver Only Honks Once.

Suspense crime drama love story all in one..good movie

Wow. This was really good. Excellent surprise ending. Its one of those movies where you root for the lovers to be together. By the time this movie ends, however, everything has been turned upside down and you are left feeling really bad for all of them. Nicely done movie.

In "Jerichow," things are not going well for Thomas(Benno Furmann) as he is forced to use the money he was planning to refurbish his mother's house to pay off his debts. Flat broke, he finds the only work he can get as a dishonorably discharged soldier is as a cucumber harvester. That changes when he helps Ali(Hilmi Sozer) pull his car out of a ditch and help him avoid a DWI charge. That does not stop Ali from drinking and driving again leading him to be caught with a blood alcohol level of 1.9%. No longer able to drive, he hires Thomas to help out with the snack bars he owns and manages with his wife Laura(Nina Hoss). I am sure that the only thing the world needs less than the Yankees winning another World Series is yet another reworking of "The Postman Always Rings Twice"(or any remake for that matter) but "Jerichow" pulls it off well by maintaining a slow burn throughout until its devastating ending that is encapsulated in a single word. That might have something to do with the movie smartly paying less attention to the source material than the current state of affairs in Germany as seen through the eyes of its flawed characters. For Thomas, the country has changed completely since growing up in East Germany and is now a country of immigrants.(His stint as a farm laborer reminds me of a recent article in a local newspaper about how hard it is to find people willing to work on a farm.) Ali is one of the newcomers and a success to boot but still feels uncertain in his adopted country and does not know who to trust, some times for good reason.

Very wonky but watchable. I liked Furmann

As a result of "dance" or because of loneliness......

Christian Petzold has a knack for making films that are interesting to watch with his long interludes, silence and long takes, and interesting, flawed characters, buit in the end not much happens, or whatever happens, does so conveniently. Still its worth a watch once.

Jerichow is a region in a part of East Germany that faces the Baltic Sea--it used to be in the GDR. A dishonorably discharged Afghanistan veteran Thomas returns to his home village of Jerichow. There after witnessing a wreck with a guy who was drinking he meets Ali who hires him as a driver. Ali (Hilmi Sozer), a middle aged Turkish immigrant who owns of a snack-bar chain in Eastern German . Then Thomas meets Laura, his Turkish boss's young & attractive wife (Nina Hoss who is very beautiful). Thomas ( Benno Furmann) was in the Army during the war in Afghanistan he is at his mother’s funeral & he has confrontation with business man he owes large sum of money to. So between them begins a classic love triangle. Petzold writes & directs a fine, tight film about 3 characters, each with a dark side to their character. It is a well directed & acted drama about a love & lust for the 3. The Ali character is the rich macho acting *ss*ole--he is not a happy man. The wife is the submissive beauty. Thomas is the quiet stoic strong army guy needing money & job. There is a resemblance to both versions of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice', also similar to the films by the late Reiner Werner Fassbinder Robert Bresson, & others.(as mentioned by others) This is an austere film making from director Petzold whose works are not well known in this country. The cinematography is really terrific & beautiful set in the desolate northeast Germany, where thick forests suddenly end on cliffs overlooking the Baltic Sea . The film also captures a social portrait of newly multicultural Germany, at least as it extends into the country's forgotten rural interior. The film does a good job giving us people in the dead ends they face & in the spiritual emptiness that causes people to do desperate things in search of happiness. In the end Ali ends up earning some of our sympathy is a testament to both Petzold's smart script & Sozer's deeply nuanced performance, a trait shared by his two co-actors.

Jerichow is a region in a part of East Germany that faces the Baltic Sea--it used to be in the GDR. A dishonorably discharged Afghanistan veteran Thomas returns to his home village of Jerichow. There after witnessing a wreck with a guy who was drinking he meets Ali who hires him as a driver. Ali (Hilmi Sozer), a middle aged Turkish immigrant who owns of a snack-bar chain in Eastern German . Then Thomas meets Laura, his Turkish boss's young & attractive wife (Nina Hoss who is very beautiful). Thomas ( Benno Furmann) was in the Army during the war in Afghanistan he is at his mother’s funeral & he has confrontation with business man he owes large sum of money to. So between them begins a classic love triangle. Petzold writes & directs a fine, tight film about 3 characters, each with a dark side to their character. It is a well directed & acted drama about a love & lust for the 3. The Ali character is the rich macho acting *ss*ole--he is not a happy man. The wife is the submissive beauty. Thomas is the quiet stoic strong army guy needing money & job. There is a resemblance to both versions of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice', also similar to the films by the late Reiner Werner Fassbinder Robert Bresson, & others.(as mentioned by others) This is an austere film making from director Petzold whose works are not well known in this country. The cinematography is really terrific & beautiful set in the desolate northeast Germany, where thick forests suddenly end on cliffs overlooking the Baltic Sea . The film also captures a social portrait of newly multicultural Germany, at least as it extends into the country's forgotten rural interior. The film does a good job giving us people in the dead ends they face & in the spiritual emptiness that causes people to do desperate things in search of happiness. In the end Ali ends up earning some of our sympathy is a testament to both Petzold's smart script & Sozer's deeply nuanced performance, a trait shared by his two co-actors.

A classic love triangle tale that is more invested in building nuanced characters than steamy sex.

Jan 2010: Netflix. Interesting German Movie.

These are the people who understand the meaning of "I love you so much, it hurts." The subtle approach has a mute intensity and a wisdom about the complexity of such love triangle ... What is so wrong about staying with someone that you don't love as much as they love you?