“Tatort” today from Munich: The tyrant next door

“Tatort” from Munich
He’s the bully next door – but is he also a murderer?

What is the “crime scene” about?

The murder of a young motorcyclist leads Munich detectives Ivo Batic (Miroslav Nemec) and Franz Leitmayr (Udo Wachtveitl) to a high-rise housing estate in Munich. There they meet an old acquaintance again: Johannes Bonifaz Hackl (Burghart Klaußner), a neighborhood tyrant who has already been put on record by the police. Did he also have a fight with the dead man? And would he be able to attack him with the laser pointer? The commissioners have their legitimate doubts. However, Hackl’s questioning escalates very quickly – and the old man storms. So the investigators are forced to take a close look at the neighborhood.

Why is the “Hackl” case worthwhile?

For decades, Burghart Klaußner has been delivering theatrical art at a consistently high level – mostly unnoticed by the very large audience. He was the slick old-68er in “The Fat Years Are Over”. The strict pastor in “The White Ribbon”. In “The Reader” and “Terror – Your Judgment” he played the judge. With the grumpy Hackl he adds another facet to his enormous repertoire. It’s worth turning on for that alone.

What bothers?

With Else Kling, “Lindenstrasse” created a character that almost everyone knows from real life: the constantly nagging neighbor from whom the entire neighborhood has to suffer. The Hackl could be the male counterpart – Else Kling paired with a dash of aggressiveness and a willingness to use violence. But what could have been the captivating character study of a typical Bavarian grumbler remains stuck in the superficial. The inner life of the Hackl remains alien to the viewer, but one sees him rioting senselessly all the more often.

The commissioners?

Batic and Leitmayr have a common past with Hackl – so the interrogation situation escalates very quickly. A more prudent approach would have saved everyone involved a lot of trouble.

Turn on or off?

An overall solid “crime scene” not to be missed.

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