"Der Totmacher" or "Deathmaker" is a German 110-minute movie from 1995, so it had its 20th anniversary last year. The writer and director is Romuald Karmakar and it is easily the most known work by him. A lot of that also has to do with the film's success in terms of awards recognition. It won the grand prize at the German Film Awards (Outstanding Feature Film), brought Karmakar, who was only 30 back then, the directors' trophy and lead actor Götz George also won, while his co-lead Jürgen Hentsch was "only" nominated. This film is about Fritz Haarmann, one of Germany's most notorious serial killers and he was also the main inspiration for Fritz Lang's "M". over half a century before this film already. But back to this one here. It is really all about George's performance and he can let it all out without ever seeming desperate, cringeworthy or hammy in my opinion. Hentsch was good too and he was in basically every scene of this film as he was the guy interrogating Haarmann from start to finish. But he was really just a trigger that got the best out of George on many occasions.Do not be fooled here: This is a very dark film that takes us into the abyss of a deranged human soul, namely Haarmann's. Theer is lots of profanity in here, but the talk about how people were graphically murdered and also the talk about many sexual references (very explicit!) is nothing for the easily offended. But it is essential as it helps a lot in finding out who Haarmann really was. George died earlier this year and this work from over 2 decades ago is without a doubt one of the finest things he left us. I am not surprised the film was submitted by Germany to the Oscars, but I am not really surprised it did not get nominated as I can see some people not finding access to the material in terms of the dramatic impact it makes. But those who (like myself) will be really rewarded with a quality piece. Maybe the premise also was too simple for the Academy voters. It is basically from start to finish 2 people (sometimes more) in an interrogation chamber and a film cannot really be more dialogue-driven than this one here. What Haarmann says and how he says it are easily the heart and soul of the movie. I also believe, due to the setting, that this is a perfect film to turn into a play on the theater stage, but I have not really come across many approaches from that direction sadly. Maybe they were just scared because they probably never would be as good as the original. But it's fine, they don't have to be in my opinion. They can still be good and another approach on the subject would be interesting to see. Anyway, about this film here, I highly recommend the watch to everybody who likes psychological thrillers, crime movies or just lead actor Götz George. They will be really well-entertained by this bold and relentless (positively meant of course) achievement. You really do not want to miss out.

If you're interested in real-life-crime films, then this film is a pure recommendation. However, keep in mind, this film is structured more like a chamber-play, carried by two actors: Götz George as child-murderer and cannibal Fritz Haarmann and Jürgen Hentsch as police-psychologist Prof. Dr. Ernst Schultze, who tries to peek into the mind of a monster in human-shape.Don't expect intricate psycho-games like in "Silence of the Lambs". Don't expect any action; 99.9 percent of the scenes take place in one room alone. And if you're looking for gory murder, move on; there are none. However, when Haarmann talks about his crimes as casually as a butcher would about preparing cattle for consumption, I can guarantee you that you'll be grateful that those scenes are "only" in your head.Some people have pointed out that George would have deserved an Oscar for his performance and I couldn't agree more. George had been best known as TV-policeman Schimanski, probably the most iconic character from the whole "Tatort"-Series. But as is often with such cases, George had grown sick of been typecast and wanted to break the mold. With "Der Totmacher" (and around the same time with the TV-Thriller "Der Sandmann") he managed to do just that and establish himself among the great actors of his generation.Within seconds the memory of Schimanksi, the tough street-cop with a heart of gold, is forgotten and there is only Fritz Haarmann: A seemingly harmless figure, at times even timid and child-like, intellectually and mentally retarded, plagued by a bad childhood and at times unable to understand what's going on around him. But since the story is based on the original files, we know that this is a cunning psychopath, convicted of the murder of 24 boys (there may have been more), whom he killed often by biting their throats and turning their flesh into sausage, often offering his neighbors some of his "home-cooking". As Haarmann and Schultze grown more comfortable (for the lack of a better word) with each other, there always looms the question of how much Haarmann actually plays the fool (Haarmann had worked as a snitch for the police prior to his arrest and was often described as by no means as simple as he presented himself during interrogation).Jürgen Hentschs performance is no less impressive. He plays the sober, proficient psychologist, who tries to maintain the necessary professional distance from his "subject", but being only human, cannot always conceal his emotions and personal opinions about this monster he has to work with. These range from suspicions to disgust and at times, even pity and sympathy. In other words: Hentsch is almost a catalyst for what the viewers will feel.I often wondered: Had some director attempted a similar cinematic "experiment" with the Thomas Harris figure Hannibal Lecter, would it have been accomplished or interesting as "The Totmacher"? Probably not. "The Totmacher" shows that reality often is much more horrific than anything an author can come up with and that it is very possible to create something great with only two human beings and a room. However, like me and many other critics have stated: you have to bring along a little patience and an interest in the subjects rather than the action.8/10

Would a different translation have made it chillier or scarier? Are the subtitles too compact to convey the nuances of the original language? Does it even matter? You may have heard that great actors can make reading a phone book exciting. Well, this is an opportunity to judge for yourself. If this isn't about homosexuality, murder, dismemberment, psychopaths, insanity, deviant psychology, then it is about acting - acting helped along with lots of dialog, So, enjoy the acting or muse about how titillating the dialog actually is.For English speakers, "Twelve Angry Men" might be a better choice. There's a bit more interaction, and you can judge if the acting is consistent with the dialog. You don't have to wonder if you're missing something.I would recommend Andy Warhol's "Empire" to those who like this film.

In "Der Totmacher" Götz George basically just plays a murderer during a cross examination. Several sessions are shown. I am certainly not George's biggest fan on the planet, but what he did in this movie is what I have to call the greatest performance ever as he does not have any virtual assistance by effects or anything, it is just him. People who like to see movies where it is the actors who create the atmosphere must not miss this incredible performance of George.