Before the Fall

Before the Fall Napola - Elite für den Führer Movie Poster Country Germany Directed by Dennis Gansel Release Date July 4, 2004 (Karlovy Vary International Film Festiva) January 13, 2005 (Germany) Language German Russian Studio Olga Film Constantin Film SevenPictures Film Distributor Constantin Film Main Cast Character Actor Friedrich Weimer Max Riemelt Albrecht Stein Tom Schilling Heinrich Vogler Devid Striesow Dr. Karl Klein Joachim Bißmeier Heinrich Stein Justus von Dohnányi Friedrich's Father Gerald Alexander Held Josef Peiner Michael Schenk

Before the Fall is a 2004 German drama film directed by Dennis Gansel. Germany 1942: The 17-year-old Friedrich takes part in competitions as a boxer in the Berlin district of Wedding. There he is discovered by sports and German teacher at the NAPOLA Allenstein. He is encouraged to enter the Napola. When his father, who is critical of the regime, forbids this, Friedrich forges his father's signature without further ado and moves into the boarding school. Friedrich makes friends with his classmate Albrecht Stein, the son of the Gauleiter. The latter is very sensitive and threatens to break under the institution's tough drill and his father's aloof manner.

The following weapons were used in the film Before the Fall:

Karabiner 98k

NaPolA (abbreviation for Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalten; National Political Institutes of Education) students including Friedrich Weimer (Max Riemelt) and Albrecht Stein (Tom Schilling) are seen with Karabiner 98ks. The teacher Josef Peiner (Michael Schenk) distributes Kar98ks to the students.

Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Albrecht and other students cleaning their Kar98ks during the lesson.

NaPolA students practice with Karabiners. Some of them have late-war welded barrel bands.

Albrecht looks at 7.92x57mm Mauser stripper clips before the search for the PoWs.

The students fire at the fleeing prisoners.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

Model 24 Stielhandgranates are used by the students during the grenade exercise of the teacher Josef Peiner who uses a training grenade.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

"The hand grenade reaches a main splinter effect in the perimeter up to 15 meters. However, individual splinters can fly considerably further."
A diagram of a Stielhandgranate while the teacher explains it to the students.

"Let's summarize: Unscrew cap, pull string and the thing is ready. Now take a long swing and take cover immediately. Note: After pulling the string you have exactly 4.5 seconds to detonation."

The teacher opens a box full of grenades.

He gives one of them to Christoph (Jonas Jägermeyr).

Wilhelm (Thomas Drechsel) about to throw a grenade.

Martin's grenade on the ground.

MP40

Waffen SS soldiers are seen with MP40s during the search for the escaped Soviet PoWs.

Maschinenpistole 40 - 9x19mm

An SS soldier on the left stands guard with his MP.

SS soldier (Radek Zima) holds an MP40.

Walther PPK

Heinrich Stein (Justus von Dohnányi) uses a Walther PPK to shoot a wounded Soviet PoW.

Early Walther PPK - 7.65x17mm Auto (.32 ACP)

A blurred view of his Walther due to the fast motion.