Christian Kohlund Movies

This ambitious, four-hour cable miniseries stars Jeremy Sisto (taking time off from his regular series Six Feet Under) as Roman general-turned-emperor Julius Caesar. Expensively filmed in Malta and Bulgaria, the production vividly traces Caesar's rise to prominence as a brilliant military tactician (with remarkably accurate battle scenes); his complex relationships with his mentor General Pompey (Chris Noth) and his second wife Calpurnia (Valeria Golino); his ideological tiltings with Senator Cato (Christopher Walken), who advocates democracy over Caesar's dictatorial ambitions; and his bloody (but inevitable) murder at the hands of former friends and allies. Taking some dramatic license with the facts, the film is basically sympathetic to its subject, although Caesar is depicted as a flawed man, both physically and morally. Giving Caesar points for being fundamentally honorable, in full possession of his faculties, and possessing the "common touch" with the Roman citizenry, the teleplay does not shrink away from the man's violent epileptic seizures, his megalomania, his casually calculated cruelties, and his bigamous relationship with Egyptian queen Cleopatra (Samuela Sardo). Interestingly enough, however, the miniseries downplays his notorious bisexuality ("Every man's woman and every woman's man"). In his final performance, Richard Harris appears as Caesar's wily bête noire, Roman dictator Sulla. Caesar was first telecast in the U.S. on June 29-30, 2003, by the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

He was a poor carpenter who never traveled further than 50 miles from his home and died at the age of 33, but his teachings changed the world and he's still followed by hundreds of millions of people around the world, 2,000 years after his death. Jesus, originally produced as a television mini-series, offers a glimpse of the human side of the messiah, as well as recounting the story of his life and martyrdom. Jeremy Sisto stars as Jesus, with Jacqueline Bisset as Mary, Armin Mueller-Stahl as Joseph, Gary Oldman as Pontius Pilate, and Debra Messing as Mary Magdalene. The home video release is expanded from the broadcast edition, featuring material that was cut for time purposes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A 19th century Prussian boy still reeling from the untimely death of his mother finds his life thrown into chaos when his father is wrongfully imprisoned in a classical adventure tale written by Marlene Matthews and directed by Allan King. Lukas' (Zachary Bennett) mother has just died in childbirth, and as his embittered grandfather departs for Canada hoisting the brunt of the blame on Lukas' innocent father, Karl (Christian Kohlund), it appears as if his family will be torn apart forever. Things only get worse, however, when, after witnessing a murder by malevolent nobleman Count Otto von Lebrecht, Lukas learns that his father has been accused of Count Otto's bloody transgression. After being forced into indentured servitude for Baron von Knabig (Günther Maria Halmer), Lukas makes the acquaintance of Baroness Ursula (Gema Zamprogna), her kindly mother, and Nathan the Peddler (Jan Rubes), a generous man who aids the young boy in orchestrating a daring escape for himself and his father. When the escape goes awry and Lukas and his father aren't able to flee together, the young boy and Ursula begin a harrowing voyage to the New World as the vengeful Otto tracks their every move. As the young boy's father makes a desperate journey north to Canada in hopes of reuniting with his child, Lukas and Ursula struggle to survive a deadly smallpox outbreak, elude a pair of nefarious kidnappers, and find their way out of the vast Canadian wilderness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Set in the long days when East and West Germany were severely, and often fatally, divided by walls and armed soldiers (still current at the time this film was created), a real love story as interpreted by director Herbert Ballmann helps to crumble the barriers set by heads of state. Thomas (Christian Kohlund) is a cook at the Swiss embassy in East Germany and can freely travel back and forth across the checkpoints into West Berlin on shopping errands to the marketplace. As he fills the larder for state functions so often, the guards at the border just say hi and wave him on. One day, Thomas meets Ulla (Ursela Monn), a secretary for an East German official, on the way back from one of his shopping errands -- it is pouring down rain and she is looking for a ride back home to her parent's apartment. Once he gives her a lift, he is quite taken by her charming demeanor (and vice-versa) -- and so a forbidden liaison between these small representatives of East and West is under way. When Ulla sees how easily Thomas comes and goes across the somber dividing line, she gets an urge to hide out in the trunk of his car and visit the great shops along the Kurfurstendamm. And so she does, with his complicity, and more than just one such trip takes place. But while they are enjoying their illicit affair and illicit trips together, trouble is brewing in the wings of officialdom that may put their relationship at risk. Ursela Monn won the 1985 Max Lubitsch Prize (given by the Association of Berlin Film Journalists) for her portrayal of Ulla.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The protagonist in this film is a surgeon whose wife is running around with his young partner, and whose medical career is hampered by his need to find a way to perform a heart-valve replacement operation. His wife's lover plans to move to Hong Kong, with her in tow, to learn something of acupuncture (which might help with the operation). The wife is involved in an auto accident before their trip, and he goes on without her. On the way there, he meets a mysterious Russian-refugee doctor who has a set of wonder-working acupuncture needles. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide