In the Fade

Fatih Akin’s psychological thriller is somber, slow-moving, and quietly heartbreaking. Diane Kruger stars as Katja, who marries Nuri (Numan Acar), a Turkish drug-dealer and ex-convict. Some years later they are living contentedly with their darling young son Rocco when tragedy strikes, as father and son are killed by a terrorist bomb placed outside Nuri’s office. The police suspect criminal associates of Nuri’s, but Katja, so depressed that she attempts suicide, dismisses that possibility, and is proven correct when the perpetrators are found—a young neo-Nazi couple. At their trial, the prosecution offers a spirited case, but the defense attorney sows sufficient doubt to secure a reluctant acquittal from the judges. So Katja decides to pursue vengeance herself and travels to Greece, home of the witness who provided a perjured alibi for the pair. On a quest to track down the guilty couple, she prepares to mete out poetic justice and bring her grief to an end. Kruger is the film’s linchpin, delivering a performance that conveys deep reservoirs of emotion without becoming showy. And In the Fade subverts the crude expectations of vigilante justice thrillers: Katja never devolves into a super-heroine, and her actions are always tinged with sadness and self-doubt. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)