Name: Blood & Gold
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Released: 2023-04-21T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Robert Maaser, Jördis Triebel, Marie Hacke, Alexander Scheer, Roy McCrerey

The church steeple scene in Blood & Gold (2023) is a microcosm of the film’s strengths and weaknesses. Paule, Elsa’s brother with Down syndrome, stands atop the tower, an MP40 clutched in his trembling hands, firing at the SS below. It’s a moment that should be electric—a disabled man, abused and cornered, turning the tables with desperate defiance. But Peter Thorwarth’s direction can’t sustain the tension. The camera shakes, the editing chops, and before you know it, Paule is dead, the moment reduced to another body count in a film that trades moral complexity for mindless mayhem.

At its core, Blood & Gold is a WWII action thriller with a premise that screams potential: Heinrich (Robert Maaser), a deserter from the Wehrmacht, teams up with Elsa (Marie Hacke) to stop an SS platoon hunting for stolen Jewish treasure. The setup evokes classics like The Dirty Dozen and Inglourious Basterds, blending war drama with dark humor and moral ambiguity. But Thorwarth’s film stumbles out of the gate, never quite finding its footing.

The first act is the strongest, establishing Heinrich’s desperation to reunite with his daughter and Elsa’s quiet resilience as she shelters him from the SS. The dynamic between them is compelling, and the tension when the SS arrive at their farmhouse is palpable. Alexander Scheer’s von Starnfeld is a standout, embodying the fanaticism of the SS with chilling precision. His unhinged energy brings a sense of danger that lifts the material above its generic trappings.

But Blood & Gold falters when it shifts into high gear. The action sequences—particularly the church steeple shootout and the final battle—are visually cluttered, relying on loud noises and fast cuts to convey excitement rather than building suspense through character or stakes. Thorwarth’s direction is erratic, swinging between moments of genuine tension and chaotic spectacle that undercut the film’s emotional weight.

The performances are a mixed bag. Maaser is solid as Heinrich, conveying determination and desperation without overacting. Hacke holds her own as Elsa, even if her character arc sometimes feels contrived. The supporting cast, however, is less compelling. Roy McCrerey as Sergeant and Stephan Grossmann as Richard feel underdeveloped, reduced to broad stereotypes rather than fully realized characters. Jördis Triebel’s Sonja is introduced too late and given little to do, leaving her character feeling tacked on.

The film’s attempt to blend genres—war drama, action thriller, and dark comedy—is ambitious but ultimately unbalanced. The humor, meant to lighten the tone, often falls flat or feels out of place. The moral questions it raises about collaboration and resistance are never explored with the depth they require. The ending, while satisfying in its bloody resolution, leaves too many threads dangling, including the fate of key characters like Sonja.

Blood & Gold has moments of genuine excitement and emotional resonance, but it’s let down by its uneven pacing, underdeveloped characters, and reliance on spectacle over substance. It’s a film that wants to be more than just another WWII action flick but ultimately settles for being exactly that.

For fans of WWII action films, Blood & Gold might offer some fleeting entertainment. The first act is engaging, and Scheer’s performance as von Starnfeld is memorable. But the film’s shortcomings—its erratic direction, underdeveloped characters, and generic action sequences—prevent it from rising above its genre trappings.

Thorwarth’s direction is a major stumbling block. His camera work is often shaky, and his editing choices can feel disjointed. The film’s pacing is uneven, with moments of tension followed by lulls that drag the narrative down. The action sequences, while visually impressive at times, lack the suspense and emotional weight that make similar scenes in films like Inglourious Basterds or The Dirty Dozen so compelling.

The supporting cast is another area where the film falls short. McCrerey and Grossmann are serviceable but never rise above their one-dimensional roles. Triebel’s Sonja, introduced late in the game, feels like an afterthought, a missed opportunity to explore themes of collaboration and moral ambiguity more deeply.

The film’s attempt to blend genres is both its strongest and weakest point. The mix of war drama, action thriller, and dark comedy creates a unique tone that sets Blood & Gold apart from other WWII films. However, the execution is uneven. The humor often falls flat, and the moral questions the film raises are never fully explored.

The ending is a case in point. While satisfying in its bloody resolution, it leaves too many threads dangling. The fate of Sonja, for example, is left ambiguous, a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the complexities of collaboration and resistance.

In the end, Blood & Gold is a film that wants to be more than just another WWII action flick but ultimately settles for being exactly that. It has moments of genuine excitement and emotional resonance, but its uneven pacing, underdeveloped characters, and reliance on spectacle over substance prevent it from rising above its genre trappings.

For fans of the genre, Blood & Gold might offer some fleeting entertainment. The first act is engaging, and Scheer’s performance as von Starnfeld is memorable.