84—GW M O R I T Z B L E I B T R E U the orphan asks him: ‘Which war?’ For Bleibtreu, this is an important point: ‘The media may talk about a “military mission”, but when soldiers are sent to drive through an area in bulletproof vests and tanks, and are involved in combat fi re, is it not our duty to admit they are being sent to war? It may not be defi ned as war by the Geneva Convention, but what else would you call it?’ Bleibtreu speaks candidly and is visibly aff ected by the fi lm’s subject matter, all the while admitting that prior to making the fi lm, he shied away from the topic of German military action, because deep down he is a pacifi st. So how did Germany’s sunny star prepare for the role of wheelchair-bound veteran Rudi? ‘My acting is based more on gut feeling than method acting. But we were lucky enough to have Felix on the set – a guy who lost his leg in an accident when he was 18 and who was my double in the fi lm. I was able to ask him questions, and it was incredibly heartening, the way he dealt with his situation with such strength and straightforwardness.’ Before the fi lm was released, Til Schweiger went to Afghanistan to show it to the troops there, to catcalls from certain quarters of the German media, who dismissed it as a marketing ploy. Bleibtreu is quick to defend Schweiger: ‘That’s rubbish. Til did it because it aff ects him personally. He has an unbelievable passion that’s really infectious. Everything he does, he does with love and conviction.’ Schweiger’s inclusion of his children in his fi lms has also attracted criticism. ‘Til does it because it works,’ counters Bleibtreu. ‘The story features a 15-year-old girl. Luna wanted to play the part, and she did a good Bleibtreu als RAF-Mitglied Andreas Baader in Uli Edels Film Der Baader Meinhof Komplex Bleibtreu played the leader of the 70s German militant group RAF in The Baader Meinhof Complex ‘I am a very critical person, and there’s a lot of stuff I don’t like. But I’m basically someone who wants to like things’ job. So why not?’ Bleibtreu also believes that it’s Schweiger’s way of spending more time with his daughter, something that he, as a family man, can relate to. His son (with long-term Swedish partner Annika) is only four, but as a child Bleibtreu also appeared before the camera with his mother, actress Monica Bleibtreu, who died three years ago. The actor seems annoyed by the media’s negativity about Schweiger’s success. He thinks that fi nding it easy to be critical is a typically German disease the nation has to get over. ‘I am also a very critical person, and there’s a lot of stuff I don’t like. But I’m basically someone who wants to like things. What does it achieve, always thinking everything is crap? I guess it’s the affl iction of a country stricken by its past. It’s like Grouchy Smurf! ‘Til Schweiger has created his own league here in Germany, and he undertakes these projects because he loves fi lm. It’s obvious too, otherwise his fi lms wouldn’t be so successful. But journalists accuse him of being contrived. They also said that about Bernd Eichinger [producer of The Baader Meinhof Complex] his entire life. Germans just can’t embrace their own. It seems to be a class thing. The more intelligent and elitist people are, the less able they are to love honestly and openly.’ Perhaps the same could be said of the soldier narrative – that it doesn’t feel right to see German troops as heroes, despite their achievements and sacrifi ces. In this sense, Schutzengel off ers a perspective that’s lacking in the German media. Going forward, would Bleibtreu also like to direct and produce fi lms one day, like Schweiger? ‘Not produce, but I’d like to try my hand at directing. I’m sure I will some day, but I think I still need more time, and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to act and produce at the same time… no, I’m too lazy for that.’ Despite his professions of slothfulness, he’s actually a very busy man. In addition to Schutzengel, Bleibtreu will appear in fi ve other fi lms this year alone, including Die Quelle des Lebens (Source of Life) directed by Oskar Roehler (who also directed Bleibtreu in Agnes und seine Brüder (Agnes and his Brothers) in 2004). He’s also starring in the comedy My Friend Vijay, alongside Patricia Arquette, as well as playing the lead roles in Die Schwarzen Brüder (The Black Brothers) and Das Engelsgesicht (The Angel Face). Which doesn’t leave much time for solo projects. So does Bleibtreu believe in guardian angels? ‘I don’t believe in the conventional idea that everyone has one, no. But I am a believer. Not in a biblical or Christian sense, but I often have moments where I think that there is something up there, swirling around in the ether between heaven and earth.’ Rex
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