In “SCHW31NS7eiger Memories – From Beginning to Legend”, Bastian Schweinsteiger’s career is retold. The documentary that was actually produced for Amazon Prime Video is now running on TV. FILMSTARTS editor Björn Becher cannot recommend them.
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When Til Schweiger announced a documentary about Bastian Schweinsteiger, I was very excited. When the film with the bulky title “SCHW31NS7eiger Memories – Von Anfang bis Legende” then appeared on Amazon Prime Video streaming service, I was pretty shocked by what producer Til Schweiger and director Robert Bohrer did with their material.
» “SCHW31NS7eiger Memories – From Beginning to Legend” on Amazon Prime Video*
I don’t want to go into the fact that Til Schweiger puts himself in the limelight – for example, during awkward small talk with Schweinsteiger while eating pasta together and as an expert who praises the development of German football. So many have done that. In addition, I could overlook those few minutes if the rest of “Schweinsteiger Memories” (forgive me if I call the film the rest of the text) worked well.
I find it much more problematic how even the most emotional moments in the football legend’s career are destroyed by penetrating over-staging.
With “Schweinsteiger Memories” even winning the World Cup doesn’t give you goose bumps
For the most part, Bohrer and Schweiger work their way through the footballer’s career in chronological order – only his poor time at Manchester United is exchanged in sequence with winning the World Cup in Brazil, so that triumph and disappointment can alternate. This is interrupted by conversations with friends and companions of the star, who talk about how great he was, and some private recordings.
Inevitably, there are many famous pictures of victories, but also defeats with his club, FC Bayern Munich, and with the national team. They are pictures that you have already seen a thousand times, but which still have goosebumps potential if you are a fan.
I never had this in the documentary, but was more and more annoyed as the running time progressed. Because although pictures and exits are known, the tension is drawn out so extremely and quickly, really annoyingly, that at some point the scenes are completely tough.
Amazon / Barefoot Films Til and Bastian cook together …
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One example is the famous defeat in the so-called Champions League “Dahoam final“Bayern versus Chelsea, in which a corner kick from the English without a chance leads to a goal. For an eternity you see players in close-up waiting for the corner, hear comments that only Drogba could score the goal until the ball finally hit it in slow motion and – after another interruption by an interview – (Oh, what a surprise!) Drogba sinks his head into the gate.
This build-up of tension would have been annoying if you had really been looking forward to an uncertain outcome. Because of the well-known ending, it seems completely nonsensical.
And as if the constant slow-motion and interruptions caused by another explanation from an interviewee weren’t enough, terrible background music is placed under every scene. From this a penetratingly disturbing, all-overlaying sound carpet develops, which finally killed off the last touch of emotions in me.
“Schweinsteiger Memories” does offer an exciting puzzle
There is then a very emotional moment (Schweinsteiger’s farewell to his teammates at Chicago Fire in the dressing room at the end of his career), but the only reason why I can recommend “Schweinsteiger Memories” is a little puzzle or search game alias “Where is Philipp?”
Because although Philipp Lahm was on the pitch for the majority of Schweinsteiger’s career (at Bayern and in the national team), he is almost completely absent from the film. That Philipp Lahm might not have been in the mood or they didn’t want him as a so-called talking head for the interview scenes.
But it is quite noticeable how the captain of the team plays almost no role at all in all triumphs – not only in the stories, but also in the pictures. Almost all scenes are cut in such a way that Lahm is (almost) not present. Goals and assists from him, which contributed to triumphs, are missing in contrast to goals from other players. Almost as if he had only been an unimportant extra in German championships, Champions League victories and world championships.
So you can do a little search game to find the few moments in which Philipp Lahm can be caught briefly at the edge of the picture or in the background (or at his most noticeable moment if there is a mistake) …
Although “Schweinsteiger Memories” was originally produced for the Amazon Prime Video streaming service and was previously only available there by subscription, Das Erste has now added it to its program at short notice. The documentation can be viewed from 4.30 p.m. on New Year’s Day, which should also be related to the fact that Schweinsteiger is now ARD football expert.
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* The link to the Amazon offer is a so-called affiliate link. If you buy via this link, we receive a commission.
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