Themes: Women's Friendship, Escape From Prison, Women in Prison
Main Cast: Katja Riemann, Jasmin Tabatabai, Nicolette Krebitz, Jutta Hoffmann, Hannes Jaenicke
Release Year: 1997
Country: DE
Run Time: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Katja von Garnier (Making Up!) made her feature directorial debut with this German musical comedy-drama about the Bandits, a quartet of female prisoners who rely on music to escape their surroundings. Then they escape for real. During a policeman's ball, they make a getaway and head north to get a hidden cash stash and ship out to South America. Along the way, they take an American hostage and give impromptu concerts. The group skyrockets to fame and cult celebrity status due to the continual airing of their tunes on the radio while they flee the police. Shown at the 1997 Toronto and German film festivals. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Review
A band of female mavericks celebrates the simultaneous pleasures of escape and renown in this feature-length, fictional rockumentary by Katja von Garnier. Their flight from prison and the widespread popular success of their band ensures hot pursuit for the "Bandits," whose unremarkable singles are more titillating as prison artifacts than as rock. Action shots and car chases abound, and von Garnier rarely misses a chance to exploit the drama of highways, bridges, or rooftops as sites for music videos. The four women play pranks on the police, confront their images everywhere, play gigs off the beaten path, and get the better of a sleazy producer, all with infectious energy and zeal. Yet despite their semblance of recklessness and abandon, the characters are increasingly -- and predictably -- constrained by their notoriety. Far from a critique of the prison system or the treatment of inmates, this film presents its characters as immature, endearing semi-delinquents incapable of sustaining a life outside the penitentiary. (#Bandits) takes a large part of its allure from the erotic subtext of the chase and a sexualized view of the female prisoner and her capture. Without examining these points, von Garnier manages to create an energetic, if not quite inspiring, film. ~ Tiffany DeVos, All Movie Guide
Bandits is a 1997 German Road Movie and Music-Film directed by Katja von Garnier. The film stars Katja Riemann, Jasmin Tabatabai, Nicolette Krebitz and Jutta Hoffman. Bandits was a commercial success in Germany (as a Movie and as a Music Album), but grossed less than $25,000 [1] in the United States. Most of the Soundtrack was written and performed by the actresses themselves. One Outtake from the Soundtrack even reached rank one in the german Charts.
The plot follows the adventures of four escaped convicts. The heroines are slated to perform at a police ball and take the opportunity to escape. While on the run, the heroines perform concerts and attain fame as a rock band.
