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Knife in the Head backdrop
Knife in the Head logo
1978·Drama·1h 48m
7.1
★
One night when seeking his estranged wife, Hoffmann goes to the youth center where she works. The police are there rounding up radicals who frequent the center - Hoffmann runs into the building and ends up being shot in the head. He awakens with brain trauma, partially paralyzed and unable to speak. The police accuse him of stabbing an officer; the radicals herald him as an innocent victim of police brutality. During his slow recovery at the hospital, Hoffmann must piece together his life and struggle to remember the events of that night.
Directed by Reinhard Hauff
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Cast

Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz
Hoffmann
Angela Winkler
Angela Winkler
Ann
Hans Christian Blech
Hans Christian Blech
Anleitner
Heinz Hoenig
Heinz Hoenig
Volker
Hans Brenner
Hans Brenner
Scholz
Udo Samel
Udo Samel
Schurig
Gabriele Dossi
Gabriele Dossi
Schwester Emilie
Gert Burkard
Gert Burkard
Institutsdirektor Ahrens
Karl Scheydt
Karl Scheydt
Kommissar

Crew

Reinhard Hauff
Reinhard Hauff
Director
Peter Schneider
Peter Schneider
Writer

Popular Reviews

3 reviews
va24mar
va24mar
7.0★ · 03/16/25
Knife in the Head
1978 | Bruno Ganz

“Messer im Kopf” is a film with an immensely interesting premise. An act of extreme police brutality leaves a man with a bullet in his head. He survives and as he is trying to heal and regain his memory, he is framed as a left-wing terrorist by police and as hailed as an innocent victim by activists.

And the film is great. Bruno Ganz delivers yet another fantastic performance full of pain and helpless mania, the cinematography is beautiful and the score great. Only problem is that the film tries to be two things at once - a medical drama and a political thriller - and ultimately ends up being neither in a proper way.

The medical part is compelling, I just wish the film leaned more heavily into the political aspects than it already does. I really like its portrayal of the police as violent, antagonizing, lying brutes and the ending is pretty fantastic too.

“Messer im Kopf” is a little late-70s gem from germany that’s very underseen. I had a great time.
1978 | Bruno Ganz

“Messer im Kopf” is a film with an immensely interesting premise. An act of extreme police brutality leaves a man with a bullet in his head. He survives and as he is trying to heal and regain his memory, he is framed as a left-wing terrorist by police and as hailed as an innocent victim by activists.

And the film is great. Bruno Ganz delivers yet another fantastic performance full of pain and helpless mania, the cinematography is beautiful and the score great. Only problem is that the film tries to be two things at once - a medical drama and a political thriller - and ultimately ends up being neither in a proper way.

The medical part is compelling, I just wish the film leaned more heavily into the political aspects than it already does. I really like its portrayal of the police as violent, antagonizing, lying brutes and the ending is pretty fantastic too.

“Messer im Kopf” is a little late-70s gem from germany that’s very underseen. I had a great time.
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Pretentious
Pretentious
8.0★ · 09/27/23
Knife in the Head
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ingrid
ingrid
7.0★ · 06/24/21
Knife in the Head
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