Film Review: "Big Mäck - Gangsters and Gold" ("Big Mäck - Gangster und Gold") (2023).

From the creators of How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast) comes Big Mäck - Gangsters and Gold (Big Mäck - Gangster und Gold). This German documentary directed by Fabienne Hurst, Andreas Spinrath, and Facundo Scalerandi. Donald Stellwag was unjustly behind bars for several years. Later, his name comes up again in a court case about a gold truck robbery. Rapper Xatar, who is convicted of the robbery, testifies in court that Donald "Big Mäck" Stellwag gave the key tips to the crime. The booty of 1.8 million euros is still missing today - where is the money and who is the real gangster here?

Born in 1957, Donald Stellwag is the victim of a miscarriage of justice that happened in Germany. His father was a US soldier, posted to Germany, and he was raised by his grandparents in Fuchsstadt when his father returned home, and his mother died. He would quickly move to Frankfurt, where he would enter the business world. Donald would start an ill-fated scaffolding business, and his deteriorating health would lead to the business going bankrupt, and his own experiments with hard drugs seemed to be a way of self-medicating. With his life expectancy fading fast, Donald would begin a criminal career, selling drugs and opening illegal casinos. When the Berlin Wall would be brought down, he would look for a new start in the Eastern States. There he would become a salesperson, making waves in the Drucker publishing industry. In 1992 he would be convicted of a bank robbery. He would remain falsely imprisoned until 2001. Donald would receive government compensation for his false imprisonment and other suits he filed. He would also earn money for product placements during interviews after he was released. He would serve nine years before being released and would consistently say he was innocent. When further bank robberies occurred while Stellwag was in prison matching the same method as the one Stellwag was imprisoned for, it did seem there was more going on than first thought, and eventually, the police would catch the person behind the crimes, and Stellwag was freed. Donald would once again fall foul of the law on the 15th of December, 2009. A truck transporting gold was approached by a police car on Autobahn 81, but the police car was fake, and the gold was looted. When those responsible for the crime were apprehended, they named Donald Stellwag in the planning of the crime.

Prepare to be appalled and infuriated as the filmmakers detail how an overzealous German legal system and German tabloid press thirsty for a sensational story joined forces to wreck a young man's life. No extra fluff is added to the re-examination of this story, from the simple stills of the crime scene to the frank discussions each person involved has with the camera. The film constantly toys with the idea of viewer perception and pre-conceived notions, knowing that even the smallest glance or crack in one's voice can be interpreted to "prove" innocence or guilt -- depending on what you want to believe.

Simon says Big Mäck - Gangsters and Gold (Big Mäck - Gangster und Gold) receives: