Blood and Gold review: WWII action-thriller is a fun time

Netflix’s Blood and Gold follows a German deserter trying to reunite with his daughter while an SS troop looks for a Jewish gold treasure.

Story

An SS troop hangs deserter Heinrich by a tree branch but when they leave, a local young girl named Elsa saves him, taking him to her house and tending to his injuries.

The troop arrives in Sonnenberg and begins looking for a gold treasure supposedly left behind by a Jewish family that the village kicked out.

Sergeant Dörfler arrives at Elsa’s house and tries to rape her, prompting Heinrich to save her as he and Elsa retaliate and kill all but Dörfler, who manages to escape. He returns the next day and returns to headquarters after capturing Elsa’s special needs brother Paule.

At the square, Lieutenant Colonel Von Starnfeld calls for Paule’s execution but at the bell tower, Paule defends himself and kills a couple of soldiers before succumbing to Starnfeld’s bullet.

Elsa gets captured while Heinrich takes refuge at a widow’s house where the local preacher arrives later on and explains what the SS soldiers are there for. Heinrich concocts a plan and goes to get Elsa, who has already fled captivity after killing Starnfeld.

They all converge at the church, where the soldiers are all finally killed, and so are the widow, the preacher, and the two greedy villagers who stole the treasure from the Jewish family. Heinrich and Elsa survive and live to see another day, as well as Heinrich’s daughter, as Blood and Gold rolls the credits.

Performances

Robert Maaser plays the deserter in search of his daughter with good conviction and lends great credence to his physical performance, especially in the combat scenes which are thrilling.

Marie Hacke is brilliant as Elsa, who, along with Petra Zieser for a while comes out as one of the most bada*s characters. And while Zieser’s Irmgard acknowledges her own bravado during one scene, Elsa doesn’t have to, as she showcases incredible marksmanship while killing the Nazis left and right.

Alexander Scheer as the evil Lieutenant Colonel Von Starnfeld is believable which is impressive considering how he’s almost a comic book villain with his appearance and unfazed bravado in front of a bullet shower.

Florian Schmidtke plays Dörfler and makes the character truly despicable, showcasing a tremendous ability to play villains imposing not only in their subtleties but also the overt, exaggerated, hyperbolic exertions.

Simon Rupp as Paule is brilliant and makes the character equal parts endearing and courageous.

Positives

Blood and Gold takes a lot from a number of genres, including spaghetti westerns, and borrows it right, implementing the genre beats on point.

The film benefits from a great cast of actors who deliver solid performances that entertain and elevate the quality even more.

An overall pulpy fun affair, the film does a good job handling the gore, the action, and the thriller aspects. The hand-to-hand combat scenes can actually inspire physical reactions as one root for the good guy to gain the upper hand, and more than anything, really give it to the Nazi scum.

Negatives

The glances that Sonja and Dörfler exchange showcase a passionate romance brewing that doesn’t go anywhere, which is a shame since their mutual involvement leading up to the treasure’s discovery instead of Wirtz and Reinkober’s involvement would have made for a more compelling subplot.

There are times when it becomes a bit difficult to overlook the recurring tendency of the SS soldiers to hold off on not shooting Heinrich or Elsa dead the first instance they gain an upper hand, but take their time monologuing, gleefully delighting, or slowly pacing left and right.

Verdict

Though not remarkable or groundbreaking by any account, Blood and Gold makes for a fun binge that’s always ensured by a Nazi-killing affair, but also peppers it with competent sequences and performances.

Blood and Gold
Blood and Gold review: WWII action-thriller is a fun time 1

Director: Peter Thorwath

Date Created: 2023-05-26 12:30

Editor's Rating:
3

Also Read: Blood and Gold summary and ending explained

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