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The Quality of Mercy (film)

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Berghammer are on the chase. When Berghammer wanders off for a few minutes, Fredl sees a refugee hiding under a footbridge. However, Berghammer discovers him and insists that they take him prisoner. Despite Fredl's protests, he cannot be softened. They deliver the prisoner to the SS. When Fredl is told by the SS leader to shoot him, he refuses. Berghammer takes care of it instead. Gendarme Birker must then arrest Fredl and take him to the
217:, construct shoes and weapons out of blankets and other items and say goodbye to those who are too weak for the escape. While the tower guards are distracted with fire extinguishers and missiles, tables and chairs are piled up in front of the walls. Only 150 of the 500 manage to escape into the night, among them are Michail and Nikolai. The majority, however, die in the confines of the camp. 187:. Nearly 500 tried to escape, over 300 made it to the nearby woods, and of those, just 11 managed to survive the three months until the war ended. Most were shot on the spot or beaten to death when they were found, 57 were returned to the camp. The film attracted 123,000 spectators in Austria, making it the most successful film of 1995. 199:, and afterwards the inside of the death block of barrack 20 is shown. 500 Russian soldiers, who have refused to fight for Germany after being arrested, are asleep on the floor when the wake-up-call rings. Having been put on a harsh diet, many get up only laboriously, while some are completely unable to do so at all. 260:
Eventually, Fredl's group also catches one of the prisoners alive. Nobody can bear the thought of shooting him, so they decide that Fredl and another man will take him to the SS. Hours later, they are still wandering around with him, not knowing what to do. Finally they decide to let him go, when the
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In order to protect his family, Fredl continues to participate in the chase, which has been named the “bunny hunt”. In the meantime, Gendarme Birker has accommodated some of the refugees in the local jail. Lehmberger, however, discovers them and propels them onto the courtyard, where he shoots them
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Michail and Nikolai have meanwhile hid in the church steeple with their friend Andrej, where they watch prisoners being rounded up. While searching for food, they are seen by the grocer Lehmberger, who shoots at them. Another passerby simply ignores them. On the run, they are separated from Andrej,
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Mrs. Karner attends church as usual with her youngest daughter Nanni, the two come across some Nazi soldiers who are walking in the direction of their farm. She sends her daughter back to warn Mitzi to hide the Russians in a better place, the search is unsuccessful. In the countryside, Fredl and
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In the next few minutes, the attitude of many becomes clear. Fredl Karner, looks the other way when he sees three of the fleeing Russians on the very spot where the SS leader has just delivered his speech. Gendarme Binder also disapproves of the chase, as the felons would not do him any harm. The
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Eventually they come to the farm of the Karner family. Despite the objections of her husband and worries expressed by Fredl, Mrs. Karner welcomes him and gives him a hot meal. Mitzi, the daughter of the house, brings clothes and shoes, whereupon Michail burns his workwear. Afterwards they bring
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nearly forgotten, Michail and Nikolai now work at the Karner's farm and when the war ends, nobody cares that Berghammer has discovered the two Russians. They are much more concerned about destroying incriminating files and uniforms. Lehmberger is found hanging in his store.
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At dawn, the chase starts. As Mrs Karner makes her way to church, a couple of refugees run out of the forest, the chasers close on their heels. Her son, Fredl, is also part of the group which kills the refugees in full view of Mrs. Karner and her little daughter.
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It is explained in the closing credits that just nine of the 500 Russian soldiers are known to have survived, from a total of 11 escapees who survived the chase without capture. Michail and Nikolai return home and today, they live in the former Soviet Union.
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by Bernhard Bamberger which compares the movie with the actual events. The latter juxtaposes interviews with local residents about the film and the actual history with archival footage and the eyewitness testimony of
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has taken place. He has been indicted for inciting the villagers to hunt the prisoners down. Due to many conflicting testimonies, the mayor is acquitted, though the court remains unconvinced of his innocence.
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Among the prisoners of war are Russian officers Michail and Nikolai, whose destiny serves as the central thread in the film. A stone falls down the wall with a message wrapped around it:
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The sirens sounding from the camp wake up the neighbourhood at half past three in the morning, among them is the Karner family. The people stream out of their houses, informed by the
412: 375: 179:. The film's original title translates as "Rabbit chase – for sheer cowardice, there is no mercy", a reference to the name given by the 406:
was released on DVD. Apart from the film, there is a chronological table and a 60-minute behind-the-scenes documentary about the film
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The film starts in January 1945. The audience is advised of the real events on which the film is based. The first images are of the
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One after another, the fugitives are found. Most are shot, but many of the prisoners freeze or starve to death in the harsh winter.
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After the credits, a final scene shows a courtroom. The judge renders judgment upon the mayor of the village in which the
196: 184: 285:; however, he is eventually released. Afterwards, Fredl hides with Michail and Nikolai in the attic on the farm. 527: 497: 450: 522: 41: 156: 233: 8: 512: 361: 224:
that 500 “felons” have escaped from the camp and have fled North. All available men from
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Thus, he is in direct opposition to everyone who is eagerly taking part in the chase.
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A planned breakout is carried out in the following days. The prisoners overpower the
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participate in the chase, "felons" are not to be arrested, but killed on the spot.
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to the manhunt for the hundreds of prisoners who managed to escape from
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clothes and food to Nikolai, who is hiding in the hayloft.
164: 246:“None of us will see or hear them, much less arrest them.” 221: 153:
Hasenjagd – Vor lauter Feigheit gibt es kein Erbarmen
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Hasenjagd – Vor lauter Feigheit gibt es kein Erbarmen
155:) is a dramatization of the events surrounding the 456:review. (November 7, 1994) Retrieved May 10, 2010 504: 415:, a survivor of the Mühlviertler Hasenjagd. 244:instructions to his group are unmistakable: 376:San Sebastián International Film Festival 358:Christoph Künzler - SS-Offizier Strasser 443: 14: 505: 204:Block 20 shall be cleared in a month! 273:in front of the helpless gendarme. 261:SS appears and shoots the Russian. 197:Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp 185:Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp 24: 25: 539: 480: 397: 390:culture award for film art, 1994 288: 208: 459: 346:Kirsten Nehberg - Mitzi Karner 251: 13: 1: 436: 340:Elfriede Irrall - Frau Karner 175:, just before the end of the 498:Information at filmportal.de 296:With Spring coming, and the 59:Andreas Gruber, Provinz Film 7: 518:1990s German-language films 418: 343:Rainer Egger - Fredl Karner 10: 544: 368: 355:Franz Froschauer - Viktor 136: 126: 116: 93: 85: 77: 63: 55: 47: 37: 32: 316: 190: 157:Mühlviertler Hasenjagd 163:that took place near 528:Austrian drama films 488:The Quality of Mercy 393:Austrian ticket 1995 374:Special jury prize, 149:The Quality of Mercy 81:Hermann Dunzendorfer 33:The Quality of Mercy 362:Thierry Van Werveke 431:Elisabeth Reichart 413:Mikhail Ribchinsky 27:1994 Austrian film 151:(original title: 146: 145: 16:(Redirected from 535: 523:1994 drama films 474: 463: 457: 447: 426:February Shadows 402:In autumn 2006, 380:Audience award, 352:- Gendarm Birker 335:Volkmar Kleinert 177:Second World War 109: 107: 30: 29: 21: 543: 542: 538: 537: 536: 534: 533: 532: 503: 502: 483: 478: 477: 464: 460: 448: 444: 439: 421: 400: 371: 319: 291: 254: 211: 193: 119: 112: 105: 103: 96: 70: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 541: 531: 530: 525: 520: 515: 501: 500: 495: 482: 481:External links 479: 476: 475: 458: 441: 440: 438: 435: 434: 433: 420: 417: 399: 396: 395: 394: 391: 385: 378: 370: 367: 366: 365: 359: 356: 353: 350:Rüdiger Vogler 347: 344: 341: 338: 332: 326: 323:Oliver Broumis 318: 315: 290: 287: 253: 250: 210: 207: 192: 189: 161:Nazi war crime 144: 143: 138: 134: 133: 128: 124: 123: 120: 117: 114: 113: 111: 110: 99: 97: 94: 91: 90: 89:Peter Androsch 87: 83: 82: 79: 78:Cinematography 75: 74: 68:Oliver Broumis 65: 61: 60: 57: 53: 52: 51:Andreas Gruber 49: 45: 44: 42:Andreas Gruber 39: 35: 34: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 540: 529: 526: 524: 521: 519: 516: 514: 511: 510: 508: 499: 496: 494: 490: 489: 485: 484: 473: 469: 468: 462: 455: 452: 449:Cathy Meils, 446: 442: 432: 428: 427: 423: 422: 416: 414: 409: 405: 398:Documentation 392: 389: 388:Upper Austria 386: 383: 379: 377: 373: 372: 363: 360: 357: 354: 351: 348: 345: 342: 339: 336: 333: 330: 329:Merab Ninidze 327: 324: 321: 320: 314: 311: 306: 302: 299: 294: 289:The aftermath 286: 284: 280: 274: 270: 266: 265:who is shot. 262: 258: 249: 247: 241: 239: 235: 232:on holidays, 231: 227: 223: 218: 216: 206: 205: 200: 198: 188: 186: 182: 178: 174: 173:Upper Austria 170: 166: 162: 158: 154: 150: 142: 139: 135: 132: 129: 125: 121: 115: 101: 100: 98: 92: 88: 84: 80: 76: 73: 72:Merab Ninidze 69: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 46: 43: 40: 36: 31: 19: 487: 466: 461: 453: 445: 424: 407: 403: 401: 364:- Berghammer 337:- Herr Kamer 309: 307: 303: 297: 295: 292: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 255: 245: 242: 238:Hitler Youth 219: 212: 209:The breakout 203: 201: 194: 152: 148: 147: 118:Running time 95:Release date 252:The manhunt 234:gendarmerie 169:Mühlviertel 122:106 minutes 56:Produced by 38:Directed by 513:1994 films 507:Categories 451:"Aktion K" 437:References 226:Volkssturm 171:region of 48:Written by 404:Hasenjagd 382:Diagonale 331:- Nikolai 325:- Michail 310:Hasenjagd 298:hasenjagd 230:Wehrmacht 167:, in the 467:Aktion K 419:See also 408:Aktion K 137:Language 86:Music by 64:Starring 454:Variety 279:Gestapo 131:Austria 127:Country 104: ( 384:, 1994 369:Awards 141:German 215:Kapos 493:IMDb 472:IMDb 317:Cast 283:Linz 236:and 191:Plot 165:Linz 159:, a 106:1994 102:1994 491:at 470:at 429:by 281:in 509:: 228:, 222:SS 181:SS 108:) 20:)

Index

Hasenjagd – Vor lauter Feigheit gibt es kein Erbarmen
Andreas Gruber
Oliver Broumis
Merab Ninidze
Austria
German
Mühlviertler Hasenjagd
Nazi war crime
Linz
Mühlviertel
Upper Austria
Second World War
SS
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Kapos
SS
Volkssturm
Wehrmacht
gendarmerie
Hitler Youth
Gestapo
Linz
Oliver Broumis
Merab Ninidze
Volkmar Kleinert
Rüdiger Vogler
Thierry Van Werveke
San Sebastián International Film Festival
Diagonale

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