Der Tanz mit dem Teufel - Die Entführung des Richard Oetker

Kidnapped on the 14th of December 1976 and released after 21 millions of German mark was delivered as ransom money, Richard Oetker became one of Germany's most famous kidnappees. More than twenty years passed until the case could be completely closed.

This production for German TV, 'Der Tanz mit dem Teufel' (Dance with the devil), succeeds both in showing the mere events and giving an impression of the late 1970's when Germany was facing a series of kidnappings unknown so far, some related to the RAF. The movie is based on reports of officers in charge and on Oetker's memory, who still suffers from the after-effects of his captivity. Oetker's suffering is clearly depicted but never used to demand the audience's pity.

Sebastian Koch as Oetker, Tobias Moretti as Georg Kufbach and Christoph Waltz as Dieter Cilov - all on top of my list of German and Austrian actors - do a wonderful job. However, if you like to watch the movie in the German original version - in classes for example - subtitles are recommended, as the pronunciation is quite genuine: fast and slurred.