Standartenführer (Oberst) Herzog
Encyclopedia
| Dead Snow Dead Snow Dead Snow is a 2009 Norwegian horror film directed by Tommy Wirkola, starring Charlotte Frogner, Stig Frode Henriksen, Bjørn Sundquist, Ane Dahl Torp and Jenny Skavlan.- Plot :A woman, Sara, is being chased through the snows of Norway... character |
|
|---|---|
| Standartenführer (Oberst) Herzog | |
| Classification: | Nazi zombie Zombie Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli... |
| Location: | Øksfjord Øksfjord Øksfjord is the administrative centre of Loppa municipality, Norway. Its population is 510. Visited by Hurtigruten daily, it is located between Skjervøy and Hammerfest... , Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
| Race: | Caucasian Caucasian race The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia... |
| Signature Weapon: | Voice Voice Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal... |
| Development Information | |
| Creators: | Tommy Wirkola Tommy Wirkola Tommy Wirkola is a Norwegian filmmaker.-Biography:Wirkola's first film was 2007's Kill Buljo that he co-wrote with Stig Frode Henriksen... , Stig Frode Henriksen, Per Steinar Hoftun, Shino Kotani, Steinar Kaarstein |
| Portrayed by: | Ørjan Gamst |
Standartenführer (Oberst) Herzog is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from Dead Snow
Dead Snow
Dead Snow is a 2009 Norwegian horror film directed by Tommy Wirkola, starring Charlotte Frogner, Stig Frode Henriksen, Bjørn Sundquist, Ane Dahl Torp and Jenny Skavlan.- Plot :A woman, Sara, is being chased through the snows of Norway...
, a Norwegian independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
zomedy
Zombie comedy
The zombie comedy, often called zom com or zomedy, is a film genre that aims to blend zombie horror motifs with slapstick comedy as well as dark comedy.-Early years:...
. Portrayed by Ørjan Gamst, he is the chief antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. Originally the merciless Nazi commander for an Einsatzgruppe division stationed near Øksfjord
Øksfjord
Øksfjord is the administrative centre of Loppa municipality, Norway. Its population is 510. Visited by Hurtigruten daily, it is located between Skjervøy and Hammerfest...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, his appearance in the film is as a zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
, re-animated in 2009.
Appearance
His story begins in northern Norway, with a mysterious hiker who tells a group of young medical students, vacationing in the mountains near Øksfjord, about the tragic history of the area from 1942 to 1945. During this time, Herzog and his soldiers tortured and abused the local populace, to such a degree that his cruelty became the grim stuff of legend for the area. Toward the end of the war, realizing that their defeat was at hand, the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldiers began looting gold, silver and other precious items from the townspeople. However, the residents rebelled, killing many of Herzog's men. Herzog, whom the hiker calls 'the devil,' managed to escape with some of his soldiers into the mountains, where it is believed they all perished. The man tells the indifferent students that the 'evil presence' the notorious officer left behind should not be awakened, and implores them to tread carefully.
After the hiker's visit, the students find an old wooden box, containing medals, gold coins and jewelry. Unaware that they have come across some of Herzog's war loot
War loot
War loot refers to goods, valuables and property obtained by force from their lawful owners via looting during or after warfare. These "spoils of war" differ from tributes or other payments extracted after the fact by a victorious nation in that their extraction is largely arbitrary and immediate,...
, and having already forgotten their visitor's tale of the suffering at the hands of the Nazis years prior, the students play with the gold pieces and discuss selling them.
Herzog first appears the night the box is found, retrieving one of the coins from the snow, right outside an outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
where two of the students are having sex. He soon unleashes his zombie troops on the students, with the couple among the first to be killed.
Throughout the movie, Herzog is seen dispatching his soldiers, primarily through gestures, and observing the action from a distance. He also watches as the students accidentally set fire to their cabin. His troops ultimately kill seven of the students, along with the hiker who originally warned them.
After much carnage and bloodshed, and his zombie troops destroyed, Herzog is left alone with two surviving students. When the two survivors discuss finishing him off, Herzog produces a "single, spectular command" in German, "Aufstehen!" (translated as "get up" in English), and rouses a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of zombie soldiers, buried beneath the snow.
During the ensuring chase, Herzog breaks with his commander role and joins the action, striking one student on the head with a hammer and disemboweling
Disembowelment
Disembowelment is the removal of some or all of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract , usually through a horizontal incision made across the abdominal area. Disembowelment may result from an accident, but has also been used as a method of torture and execution...
him. He then removes a gold pocketwatch off his remains. The remaining survivor, named Martin (portrayed by Vegar Hoel), realizing what Herzog is truly after, runs to the group's burnt cabin to retrieve the wooden box. Finally given his gold, Herzog appears satisfied and Martin is allowed to escape.
Upon reaching the supposed safety of his car, Martin prepares to leave the disastrous scene when he discovers one of Herzog's coins. With his discovery, Martin also discovers Herzog, who has returned to take violent possession of his remaining coin.
Character development
In creating Herzog and the film's other Nazi zombies, writer and director Tommy WirkolaTommy Wirkola
Tommy Wirkola is a Norwegian filmmaker.-Biography:Wirkola's first film was 2007's Kill Buljo that he co-wrote with Stig Frode Henriksen...
concluded that the best way to enhance the horror and disgust of standard zombies was to give them the Nazi element; he also used the historical backdrop of the Nazi occupation of Norway in developing the film's plot. In an interview, Wirkola said, "When we were about to sit down and write the actual script, we started thinking ‘What is more evil than a zombie’? A Nazi-zombie!
We have a really strong war-history up in the north of Norway from World War Two, so it was fun to combine actual events with our own story. And you know Nazis have always been the ultimate villains in movies. Combine that with zombies and you really get something that no one would sympathise with."
While many horror movies featuring zombies are often written within a political or socioeconomic subtext -- zombies serving as an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
to the suffering of people during economic difficulties or political uncertainties -- it was noted that no such distinction existed with Herzog or his army. In a review of the film for NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, Nathan Lee wrote, "Dead Snow has no such ambitions, conscious or otherwise. That it features Nazi zombies doesn't speak to some Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n reckoning with a historical horror (or a present-day anxiety) so much as to the fact that Nazis are, like, totally evil."
Unlike many cinematic zombies, who appear listless, mindless and shambling, Herzog is agile, focused and swift, and also unlike his zombie counterparts, he is motivated to pursue and attack humans for reasons beyond a hunger for human flesh
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
. Along with his zombie troops, Herzog grunts and growls, yet displays a level of intelligence unique for movie monsters by giving commands, managing troops and using equipment. Also he is seen capable of some form of speech, shouting "aufstieg" (german for "rise") during the end of the film and awakening several more troops. Despite his supernatural state, he still operates as a Nazi officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, and the zombie soldiers remain under his leadership. Wirkola, who also appeared in a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as one of the zombie soldiers, said of his monsters, "I like to think of them as Nazi zombies. Nazis first, then zombies."
Even though a curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
is alluded to in the beginning of the film, through the Nazi occupation and susequent burial grounds the Norwegian mountains became, it is not definitive how Herzog and his soldiers became zombies. However, Wirkola used the curse angle in the creation of the film's zombies. "We went for the old-fashioned ones where they're cursed. For me there are two types of zombie films: the curse and the plague or virus. So we wanted ours to be like a ghost story
Ghost story
A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, or an account of an experience, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. Colloquially, the term can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has...
mixed with Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
."
Like the movie, Herzog's appearance mixes camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
with the macabre
Macabre
In works of art, macabre is the quality of having a grim or ghastly atmosphere. Macabre works emphasize the details and symbols of death....
. He is dressed in a time-worn, Allgemeine SS
Allgemeine SS
The Allgemeine SS was the most numerous branch of the Schutzstaffel paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany. It was managed by the SS-Hauptamt...
uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
; in the movie, and the film's end credits, Herzog is referred to as oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
(colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
). However, given his uniform and that he is identified as part of an Einsatzgruppe division, he would have the equivalent rank of standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
.
His face is ghoulish, resembling a skull with early signs of decomposition
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
. Writing for the New York Observer
New York Observer
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
, Rex Reed
Rex Reed
Rex Taylor Reed is an American film critic and former co-host of the syndicated television show At the Movies. He currently writes the column "On the Town with Rex Reed" for The New York Observer.-Life and career:...
likened the humor exhibited in Herzog and the other zombies to Peter Boyle
Peter Boyle
Peter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein ....
in Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The supporting cast includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard...
and added, "The cadaver
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
ous makeup is outstanding (and) the actors do an admirable job portraying authentic-looking terror."
The special effects make-up team responsible for Herzog's look were Per Steinar Hoftun and Shino Kotani, both of Freax FX, and Steinar Kaarstein, of Effektmakeren. The development crew also included Janne Røhmen (key make-up artist), Elisabeth Haugan, Gudmund Saksvik, Lene Bruksås and Ragnhild Prestholt.
Publicity
Herzog was the prominent character for publicity for Dead Snow. U.S. posters, DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-Ray covers display Herzog's head, decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
and laying on the snow, while Norwegian DVDs feature his headless torso
Trunk
Trunk may refer to:In biology:*Trunk, an elephant's proboscis or nose*Trunk, torso*Trunk , a tree's central superstructureIn containers:*Trunk , a large storage compartment*Trunk...
. However, he was neither decapitated nor destroyed in the film.
In addition, Herzog is featured on the Nazi Zombies website dedicated to the Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is generally considered to be the fifth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game was...
, Zombies
Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies
Call of Duty: World at War: Nazi Zombies is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio, and published by Activision for iOS. It is a spin-off of the Call of Duty series, and based on the "Zombies" mode of Call of Duty: World at War. The game was released worldwide on...
map
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
, even though he does not appear in the game and there is no relationship between the map and the film, apart from the concept of zombie Nazis.
It has been reported that Wirkola is looking at making a sequel to Dead Snow, with a plot possibly involving Herzog and his zombie troops invading northern Norway.