Max Schmeling

A viscerally entertaining epic biopic, <strong>MAX SCHMELING</strong> profiles the iconic German boxer whose tightrope efforts to distance himself from the Nazi Party and later acts of righteousness made him an improbable hero. The film charts the rise of the World Heavyweight Champion, his marriage to glamorous Czech-born actress Anny Ondra (Susanne Wuest), and the highly symbolic matches against African-American Joe Lewis, propagandist fodder to make Schmeling an Aryan Superman. Despite political pressures, Schmeling refuses to break ties with Jewish manager Joe Jacobs and trainer Max Machon (delightful performances by Vladimir Weigl and Heino Ferch), and later hides two Jewish teenagers during Kristallnacht. Olympic boxer Henry Maske underwent eight months of acting coaching for his debut role as the onscreen Schmeling. Featuring handsome widescreen cinematography, the film also boasts extended authentic boxing sequences impressively staged by director Uwe Boll.