The Robber

Based on a novel by Martin Prinz which was subsequently based on the real life story of Austrian criminal ‘Pump-gun Ronnie’, The Robber is a tense, thriller which pulsates like a heart-beat; up and down, slower and faster.

Johann Rettenberger (Andreas Lust) lives his life for two reasons: to run marathons and to rob banks. Recently released from prison, where he continued training on a treadmill in his cell, he breaks the record for the fastest Austrian runner at the Vienna Marathon and, in his spare time, he continues to rob banks. Very much an introvert, he moves in with his ex-girlfriend Erika (Franziska Weisz) but struggles with the intimacy of human contact. It seems that the only things Rettenberger knows is to run and to rob. As the number of banks he robs begin to add up, so does the depravity of Rettenberger’s obsession with being left alone. When his criminal behaviour goes beyond hold-ups, he finds himself on the run from the police and in danger of running out of breath.

This film is very well constructed; it feels that the director’s intention was to play the film out according to Rettenberger’s heartbeat, as he runs the camera and cutting gets faster and as things slow, as does the editing. Similar in style and tone to Austrian director Michael Haneke, Heisenberg has created a character study which intrigues beyond curiosity. Indeed you begin to wonder what will happen to this character, where is he going and what will the outcome be? In the role of Rettenberger, Lust creates a character that is void of emotion, never smiling even when he wins a marathon or robs a bank. It is a very convincing performance and is aided by the empathy we have for his ex-girlfriend, played with compassion by Weisz.

This is an unmistakable European film which will not suit all tastes. The ending is a tad predictable and, to be honest, a little underwhelming. However, it is a little blip in the heartbeat of a film which will tickle the senses visually and suck you into its character’s obsessed mind.

The Robber was screened as part of the 64th Edinburgh International Film Festival

Last edited: 20th June 2010

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