quick check
“Police call 110” repeat
Right-wing murderers and the long arm of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Scene from “Polizeiruf 110”: Chief Inspector Hanns von Meuffels (Matthias Brandt, r) wants Farim (Jasper Engelhardt) to testify in the murder trial.
© BR/X Films Creative Pool Entertainment GmbH/Hagen Keller
Four right-wingers beat a refugee to death. Commissioner von Meuffels investigates – and comes into conflict with the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. A “police call 110” that brings back memories of the NSU scandal.
- 3 out of 5 points
- Inspector von Meuffels (Matthias Brandt) investigates the right-wing scene and has to deal with the protection of the constitution. Strong topic, unfortunately not consistently implemented convincingly.
What’s the matter?
A Muslim refugee is said to have molested a young woman in an underpass – and is then kicked to death by four men from the right-wing scene. The perpetrators are initially arrested, but they are released shortly afterwards. Because the intelligence officer Peter Röhl (Joachim Król) has recruited one of them as an informant, the half-Iranian Farim (Jasper Engelhardt). However, the young man is not at all prepared for this role – and puts himself in great danger. Hanns von Meuffels would like to use him as a key witness in his murder trial – and clashes with the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Why is this “police call 110” worthwhile?
Should the Office for the Protection of the Constitution recruit informants to obtain information about the right-wing scene? Or does he only provoke crimes that might not have been committed without the smuggled spies? A question that has not only arisen since the NSU murders, which have not been fully clarified to this day – also because the Office for the Protection of the Constitution destroyed countless files. The “Police Call 110: The Ghost of Freedom” (Director: Jan Bonny, based on an idea by Günter Schütter) touches the wound and asks important questions.
This is not a Ballermann party: Those celebrating here are said to be right-wing violent criminals. At least this “police call 110” represents the right-wing scene.
© BR/X Films Creative Pool Entertainment GmbH/Hagen Keller
What’s annoying?
As relevant as the topic is, the implementation is anything but successful. This is mainly due to the occupation of the four violent criminals from the right-wing scene. A corpulent long-haired man with man’s breasts, a sensitive half-Iranian on cloud nine, a blond talker and an inconspicuous scrawny – these four clowns are said to have murdered a Muslim and messed with a Romanian pimp gang? That’s downright laughable. Of course, one can appreciate that the right is not being stereotypically portrayed as bald men in combat boots. But why do they behave like such and yell “Heil Hitler” and “We are the people”?
The commissioner?
Hanns von Meuffels is a conservative in the best sense of the word: he has style, decency and stands up for his values and beliefs unconditionally. That makes him a troublemaker at a time when many either have an eye on their own progress or don’t want to have any trouble. There should be a lot more people like him.
Turn on or off?
Matthias Brandt is always a reason to tune in. All the more so since this is his penultimate case as a “police call” investigator.
The “Polizeiruf” episode “The Ghost of Freedom” was first broadcast on August 19, 2018. ARD will repeat the film on Friday, February 11, 2022 at 10:15 p.m.