Film tells the story of how Switzerland came into being - albeit in a slightly different way to the historical circumstances we have known up to now: William Tell proves himself a national hero against his will in the midst of the comic chaos of court intrigues, mishaps and misguided love of country. Habsburg occupiers and Swabian tourists stand in the way of the Confederates' fight for independence, but a parodic all-round attack ensures that all patriots learn their history lesson - and in the process are relegated to their respective national borders.
Acting
Udo Kier's Gessler—camp villainy at maximum wattage.
Costume
Ridiculous hats that deserve their own billing.
Writing
Puns so bad they loop back to genius.
Director
Mike Eschmann
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of a wave of 2000s European heritage parodies—think 'Asterix' meets post-ironic national identity crisis. Switzerland's own complicated relationship with its founding myth made it ripe for mockery.
Director Mike Eschmann was primarily a TV comedy veteran; this was his theatrical swing at 'epic' scope with approximately TV money. The Habsburg-Swabian tourist rivalry joke lands harder if you've actually endured German-Swiss border tensions.
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