I like a good old-fashioned revenge tale, and you can't get much more old-fashioned than 5,300 years ago. That's when ICEMAN, aka "Der Mann aus dem Eis" (Film Movement, 2017) takes place, in some of the remotest areas of Germany, Italy, and Austria, in a time where bad guys already roamed the land and good guys felt a moral duty to hunt them down.
The main character of Kelab (Jürgen Vogel) is based on "Ötzi", a man whose frozen body was found in 1991 in a glacier where it had lain for over five millennia in the Ötztal Alps near the border between Austria and Italy.
Director and writer Felix Randau (THE CALLING GAME, NORTHERN STAR) has given him a fictional history that begins when he goes off from his village to hunt for food, whereupon a gang of three homicidal sadists descend upon the peaceful collective and wipe out everyone in sight, raping and pillaging before setting fire to all the huts--some with children inside--and making off with the tribe's most sacred religious artifact.
It's one of the most simple set-ups there is, with a returning Kelab grief-stricken beyond belief and, naturally, grimly determined to hunt down the murderers of his wife and son and recover the holy McGuffin. Making this more difficult for him is the fact that his newborn foster child has survived, and Kelab must take along both the baby and a goat for milk.
What makes ICEMAN different from the usual revenge tale--besides the unusual time frame--is that Kelab is a decent, peace-loving man who, even after the outrage committed against his people, fits awkwardly into the role of avenger. It's a deep moral dilemma for him, but one which he must resolve one way or another.
The primitive conditions during the prolonged chase sequence give this quest a unique flavor. Basically, it's simply one man doggedly trudging through the harsh, often frozen wilderness after three equally dogged men who sometimes turn around and fire arrows at him. And even during this conflict, the men must all deal with the ever-present matter of basic survival.
Though sparsely inhabited, the trail brings Kelab into contact with a few interesting strangers. One young man whom he rescues from yet another pair of murderous thieves tries to partner up with him but is shunned by the mournful loner. Then he encounters a rarity for those times--a gray-haired older man (special guest star Franco Nero), whose young female companion (daughter? mate?) ardently desires sexual congress with Kelab for reasons we'll soon discover.
The film itself is beautifully shot and directed in authentic locations with very fluid camerawork. Performances are spot-on and very believable, with Jürgen Vogel just right as a regular guy forced into extraordinary circumstances and faced with the daunting task of avenging both his own family and his entire tribe.
Just how willing Kelab is to become a killer himself will help give the story a resonant ending which invites more than a little contemplation. With elements of QUEST FOR FIRE, JEREMIAH JOHNSON, and a few other films that may come to mind while you're watching it, ICEMAN still manages to be a unique, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant vicarious adventure into the distant past which is also relevant for today.
Order it from Film Movement
Also available on iTunes, Fandango, Vudu
Available 5/21/19
2.35:1 widescreen
5.1 Surround/2.0 Stereo
Bonus: Making-of featurette, Trailer
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