EISMAYER - Mark Reviews Movies

Eismayer, Dark Star Pictures

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Review by Mark Dujsik | October 5, 2023

The title character of Eismayer is a tough man with a secret. It's not too difficult to figure out that secret, because the entire story rests on it coming to light, and if writer/director David Wagner had let the fact be known from the start, this movie could have explored how this character evolves with a bit more time and a lot more consideration than we get here.

The story is set at a modern-day military base in Austria, where Vice Lieutenant Charles Eismayer (Gerhard Liebmann) has developed a long-standing reputation of being the most difficult of drill instructors. He's often scolded by his commanding officer for being too harsh on his recruits. It isn't, after all, the 1980s or '90s anymore. The military has changed in its attitudes and approaches to many things, yet Eismayer seems determined to stick to his old, borderline abusive ways.

One of those new recruits is Mario Falak (Luka Dimic), a man of Yugoslavian descent with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He experiences some prejudice based on his ethnic background, but once it becomes clear that he's also gay, his fellow recruits become rougher on him. Despite his reputation and behavior, though, Eismayer actually softens toward Falak a little, even offering him words of encouragement during one training exercise, once that fact becomes common knowledge.

It will come as little surprise that Eismayer can relate to Falak on that level. No one at the base knows it for certain, but the hardened soldier is also gay and keeping it a secret. He may have a wife (played by Julia Koschitz) and young son at home, but the officer often lies to her about needing to stay late at work, only to arrange clandestine rendezvous with men.

Once we know this information, the character and, indeed, the movie become far more intriguing. It's fascinating to see the dichotomy between Falak, who at least feels comfortable with his identity enough to make it public knowledge, and Eismayer, who was raised in a different time and under a different social climate that have taught him to stay hidden—worried about the potential consequences.

Obviously, a relationship forms between the two men, but once again, it becomes more than what we might expect at first. Wagner's screenplay does it no favors by lingering for so long on the familiar beats of repression and awkward interactions, but there's a key turning point in this story, when Eismayer gives over his long-held control of his own life and power over others, that transforms it into something quite moving.

Eismayer, though, hurries through this part of the tale, as it has done for most of the movie. Wagner seems more concerned with hitting certain narrative and emotional beats than allowing them to breathe. Once a coda reveals that there's another level to this story, one really wishes it had spent more time exploring these characters.

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