Rammstein – Making Of The Video "Rozenrot".
(From "Made In Germany" DVD, 2011).
English subtitles.
Age rating: 12+.
Z.B. – Zoran Bihac (Director).
T.L. – Till Lindermann (Vocalism).
R.Z.K. – Richard Z. Kruspe (Solo-guitar).
P.H.L. – Paul Heiko Landers (Rhythm-guitar).
C.S. – Christoph Schneider (Drums).
C.F.L. – Christian Flake Lorenz (Keyboard).
O.R. – Oliver Riedel (Bass-guitar).
R. – Something from Rammstein.
A. – Assistant.
A.G. – Artist Girl.
M.A. – Make-up Artist.
S.S. – Survey Squad.
W. – Woman.
U.M. – Unknown man.
(Transylvanian, 13 November 2005).
(7 Hour A.M.. Temperature -7o C).
P.H.L.: If you shave of my side-burns, that'll look better.
T.L.: Why do I need make-up?
M.A.: Okay. That's enough.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) You have to come towards me. This direction.
S.S.: (On shooting stage) A priest in hurry!
How many… Six?
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Yes.
Walk towards me, as if the village is behind me.
S.S.: (On shooting stage) Look towards the haystack behind Zoran. That's where the village is. Ready to shot!
(Shooting).
(Video “Rosenrot” on screen).
(Piatra Craiului Berge).
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) They welcome you after your long journey and give you food and drink. You celebrate with them and laugh. Except for you! You don't laugh (laugh)!
T.L.: (On shooting stage) Why not? I wanted to...
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Okay, but then we have to...
T.L.: (On shooting stage) I'm doing anything.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) I'll film an extra shot. Celebrate with the others.
P.H.L.: (On shooting stage) I'll be more restrained.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) We'll take another shot where you look more serious. You can eat the food, by the way. It's been freshly cooked.
Z.B.: We wanted to shoot in a remote village and landscape with almost no civilization to give the story a timeless feeling. It could take place in the 1950's or the 70's or one hundred years ago. It's not important. But it's important that it's not important (smile). This feeling of timelessness is important. So we've come to this village here with really new old houses that look like they are from another time. Romania is a great country to produce in. We're working with really good people here. This setting makes the story credible.
(10 Hour A.M., -3o C).
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) You beat-up first and the others will join then. There's a sequence,
the vocal sequence, where you are under her bed. She's asleep and you lie there and sing the verse. We'll film it from above. She gets out of bed, you all come running in, turn the bed upside-down and start beating Till.
R.Z.K.: (On shooting stage) Shouldn't we have knives?
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) No, not you. Till has one. You are monks!
R.Z.K.: (On shooting stage) Won't we kill him? We burn him.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Your only instruments are whips and chains (laugh)!
T.L.: (On shooting stage) You just want to live out your frustration from the last ten years (laugh). Not here please!
R.Z.K.: (On shooting stage) It's like the inquisition!
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Basically, yes. That's why this scene is so important. The video starts like a cheesy film, but suddenly everything changes.
C.F.L.: (On shooting stage) Okey.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Flake plays the high-priest, as it were. And Till has a vision at the end how Flake takes her hand and they are about to kiss each other.
P.H.L.: (On shooting stage) And they are the winners?
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Basically, yes. But it's just a vision that blurs out.
The final shot is how you leave the village. Smoke is still rising in the background. There's only five of you now and you journey on.
(Shooting).
P.H.L.: (Look at the beautiful view) Isn't it beatiful here?
Z.B.: Yes, very pretty. But would you want to live here?
P.H.L.: (Sigh).
Z.B.: If it was only about fifteen minutes from Berlin?
P.H.L.: No, not even then. I'm a Berliner. I need the city.
Z.B.: Yes?
P.H.L.: Yes.
(Pause).
C.F.L.: Don't bother asking me any questions. Enough questions have been asked. The answers are always such rubbish so that it's better to say nothing. The pictures can speak for themselves.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Flake, kiss her forehead! Kiss her longer, kiss her forehead again!
C.F.L.: (On shooting stage) Sorry, I wasn't really prepared for that scene.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) I wanted to improvise.
C.F.L.: (On shooting stage) Was it okay?
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Yes, super.
I'll cut it together later, but I wanted the hazy shot through the fire of you kissing on her forehead.
C.F.L.: Explanations take the magic out of things so that you don't want to do them any more. I never go see a film in the cinema if I've seen the making-of. Nothing personal against you but the magic is gone and I don't want to see it. And I never go see a film if I've seen the trailer in the cinema. If I see a trailer, I don't want to see the film anymore. All the characters have been introduced then. Not necessarily as they appear in the film. You see if it's a city, if there's a battle. “War of the Worlds” or whatever. That takes the entire charm out of the film for me.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) (Talking on English without subtitles).
A.: (On shooting stage) (Talking on English without subtitles).
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) (Talking on English without subtitles).
Put your chin up and breathe heavily.
(Talking on English without subtitles).
Chin up and breathe with your mouth open. Exactly. Now scream.
T.L.: (On shooting stage) (Screaming).
(10 Hour P.M., -10o C).
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Okey. You can't see the scream. I like it.
(Scene with woman in house).
T.L.: (On shooting stage) I'll grab her by the hair and pull her to the window and...
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Okey. (Talking on English without subtitles).
T.L. & W.: (On shooting stage) (Dialog with woman on English without subtitles).
(Shooting).
(Video “Rosenrot” on screen).
(14 November. Naturreservat – Prapastiile Zarnestilor).
(8 Hour A.M., -3o C).
Z.B.: This morning we're shooting the scene where we are coming through the mountains. It must be obvious that the monks are wandering monks. That they are always on the move. Sometimes they come across villages, stay there for a while and then move on. It's a group of monks from various different orders. A bit like Rammstein in reality.
S.S.: (On shooting stage) Now the feet.
Z.B.: We need a shot in the video where Till and the girl have an intimate moment together.
A real moment. The other scenes are visions. They're not real. He just imagines them. We need a scene where the gril and Till are talking. Where you see that something is going on between them. Whether it's erotic or just friendship is open to interpretation. The other monks are watching him. They see what's going on. He doesn’t know that.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) All very relaxed. And then you discover Till over there. On three. And then you tell the others to turn around and look.
Richard, now! Okey.
You turn back to Richard and say “Oh, shit! Oh God!”.
Perfect. And cut.
(Video “Rosenrot” on screen).
S.S.: (On shooting stage) The girl in the middle. Flake at the back. Till comes from here with the bread.
(Shooting).
S.S.: (On shooting stage) Cut! Flake, where were you looking?
O.R.: (On shooting stage) Flake, where were you looking?
C.F.L.: (On shooting stage) Dead straight ahead.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Look at her instead.
And one more. Ready?
(Video “Rosenrot” on screen).
(9 Hour P.M., -7o C).
(Shooting scene with Till and girl).
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) (Talking on English without subtitles).
Look at it. They are covered in blood. Perfect. Cut!
(Talking on English without subtitles).
(Rehearsal with self-torture).
A.: I shorten the whips, otherwise the motion is to slow and soft. But when you shorten it... (Everybody is laughing). To the kidneys.
P.H.L.: You hit yourself on the way back too.
A.: Good. That's good!
C.F.L.: Is it red? Let me have a look.
S.R.: Yes, I think so.
C.F.L.: I'm not as big a fan of pain as Till. I like when the pain ebbs. That's why I like spicey food.
(10 Hour P.M., -10o C).
(Shooting of scene with self-torture).
P.H.L.: (On shooting stage) Zoran, we're just trying something out.
T.L.: (On shooting stage) Just a little bit to start.
P.H.L.: (On shooting stage) Above you, there's a branch.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Okey, okey, okey.
Oh, shit!
The camera is close on your faces now. It has to hurt.
One! Two! Three! Go!
(Shooting)
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Zoran, you are a...
(Shooting)
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Film Schneider. He looks really mean. Richard, harder! Breathe out. Breathe out. On three you start again, okay? One! Two! Three!
(Shooting)
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) You're all in the shot so keep going!
(11 Hour P.M., -15o C).
Z.B.: (Laugh).
Z.B.: They had fun flogging themselves. I'm happy. We've got no special effects.
Everything is real. Very Rammstein. I like it. We have to do a bit more flogging. I have to fill the song with a few more shots. But everything is going well. The band is happy. That's the most important thing. Everyone else too.
(Video “Rosenrot” on screen).
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Flog yourselves!
U.M.: (On shooting stage) I missed this!
C.S.: The self-flagellation in the video was the most important experience for me. I'll remember it and voluntarily stand for it in the cold for two days. A very good experience. Millions of religious believers flog themselves for various reasons. You really feel yourself when you do that.
P.H.L.: I really felt lighter afterwards. I mean... You always have a reason to punish yourself for mistakes and so on. And suddenly... It's like a release! Like a reset-button!
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Guys, what's important is that you run at him, grab him and throw him to the ground so that he lies here in an embryo position. Then the others come and they kick and punch him with sticks. Obviously not really!
He has to lie like this when you pull him to the ground. Then the others come. They bend over him and kick like this. Then they hit him with sticks. Let's shoot this with no rehearsal.
P.H.L.: (On shooting stage) Till, don't defend yourself.
(Shooting)
C.S.: (On shooting stage) Richard, let the others have a go too.
(Video “Rosenrot” on screen).
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Softly! More, more! Pull his ears. Put your boot in his face. Softly. Exactly! Step on his face. More! With the beat! Keep on punching. Now walk out of the shot. Go away. Stay lying down.
U.M.: (On shooting stage) It was too long.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Super! Sorry Till, but it looked great!
O.R.: (Watching footage) The boot looks good!
That's enough I'd say!
P.H.L.: (Watching footage) What's that blue bit?
O.R.: (Watching footage) His underpants.
P.H.L. & O.R.: (Laugh).
P.H.L.: (Watching footage) We have to cut the pants out. He didn't really collapse, huh?
O.R.: (Watching footage) It's good.
P.H.L.: (Watching footage) That he didn't collapse?
O.R.: (Watching footage) Yes, how his head is lying there.
(12 Hour P.M., -17o C).
A.G.: (Talking on English)
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) (Talking on English without subtitles).
S.S.: (On shooting stage) Till, on your position please.
T.L.: (On shooting stage) Down?
S.S.: (On shooting stage) Under the bed.
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Till, can you take your shirt off? The same as with the flogging. Just pull it down.
(Shooting)
Z.B.: (On shooting stage) Cut.
It's frozen. It doesn't work anymore. It's too cold. It doesn't work, sorry. But it looked great.
S.S.: (On shooting stage) If the picture is okay you're done. I know you are nice collegues and wait until Till is finished.
R.Z.K..: (On shooting stage) Of course we wait. In the hotel!
(Everybody is laughs).
(Video “Rosenrot” on screen).
Text by Shman.
