Sam - A Saxon

I recommend watching the original Version with subtitles as the dubbed version doesn't possess the same emotional impact I loved watching Sam's growth as man with a troubled past and challenging present, I found the acting to be captivating and at times forgot I was watching actors. The pace is fast and each episode has its own arc to it I watched it in two sittings as I was drawn into it and wanted to see the outcome the fact that the movie is based on actual events and people made it even more compelling. It was educational for someone who was nit as familiar with what was happening in Germany around the time before and during and after the fall of the wall.

For me the series really takes off in episode 3. Maybe I am just too young to care for the whole historical, political fall of the wall situation, but the bond that is established between him and - sorry, I almost spoilered. The bond he establishes in episode 3 makes the whole series worth watching and interesting. A lot happens between the lines, which is great. It is pretty well written.

The cinematography is for German standards very good.

I must say, the only issue I really had was with the main actor. I didn't quite get a lot of his acting decisions or facial expressions at times, but other than that, it was a good watch.

Great series, great story, very interesting and well told.

The dubbing is horrible. I don't know why there was no emphasis placed on the dubbing, but I'll disregard the dubbing for my rating.

I felt like Malick Bauer was trying so hard to use these facial expressions, where he smiles even though he is hurting on the inside, but they didn't connect with me, because they were just all over the place and not meaningful in those moments, especially because he overuses them. In episode 4 or 5 he is walking this girl home and he does that constantly, then has this major outburst and goes back to the grinning. I know what he was trying to do it, but he just overacted badly and he tends to do that a lot in the series. Which is sad, because he seems to have potential. I think this role was just too big for him to carry.

Contrary to the other comments, I don't get the whole problem with him being well build and being such a helpless nerd. I know a lot of gym nerds. What I did find irritating is the fact that the actor often just runs through some dialogues, which makes him hard to understand in German, even for a German person.

If the main actor was better this series could have easily been a rewatchable 7 because the story is so intriguing. I am really torn between giving it a 5 or a 6, but I'm going to go with the 6 because I love the fact that this was made.

How is this getting such a good rating? The main actor did not sink his teeth into the role. Sorry for saying it. I heard great things about the series, watched it and the whole series focuses around a guy who's lived a pretty astonishing life, but the actor gives me practically no growth or transformation. He plays the same guy from beginning to end, even though the things he goes through must have had an effect on him, which it even says in the breakdown of the book.

In the beginning of the movie the actor playing Sam is supposed to be 20, but the actor, Malick Bauer looks just as old as the person the book is based on looks right now.

When you create an autobiographical piece based on a single person, the production falls or thrives with the actor portraying that role. Sadly Malick Bauer failed to make the character believable or likeable.

I love the actual themes the movie addresses and what the actor actually goes through, even going as far as picking a questionable profession early on in the series, considering his ethnicity. Great story. Disappointing acting and character development.

I find it hard to feel for the protagonist. Not just because I don't think he's a great actor, even though he had some good moments in the series, but my biggest problem lies in the physical aspect of things.

He is bigger and looks stronger than anybody else in the series. So even when a group of people jump him, that all look like twigs next to him, I don't feel like he's in any real danger.

This could have been fixed very easily, by simply casting at least some actors and stunt guys who don't weigh 30kg less than him.

I like the tempo and feel of the series, but towards the end it becomes a little less interesting.