Disney+ is adding to its offering with new films and series. Among them is a western that has taken German cinemas by storm like no other.
In 2001, more than 11.7 million people went to the cinema to see Der Schuh des Manitu. This makes the western comedy by Michael “Bully” Herbig the most successful German film of the past seven decades. Before Part 2 conquers the big screen next year, you can now dive into the original again.
The streaming service Disney+ has added the box-office hit, distributed by Constantin Film, to its catalog. Starting now, you can take a nostalgic ride into the past. An hour and a half of German pop culture history awaits you – with all its good and bad sides.
Der Schuh des Manitu on Disney+: Before Part 2, it’s worth taking another look at Bully’s Western parody
Without regard for losses, Der Schuh des Manitu pulls over the adventures of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand when Bully, as Apache chief Abahachi, meets the ranger played by Christian Tramitz. Together, the unlikely duo sets out on a quest for the eponymous shoe, which is also coveted by the villain Santa Maria – brilliantly played by Sky du Mont.
Watch the trailer for Manitou’s Shoe here:
Despite its insane success, the legacy of Der Schuh des Manitu is now controversial. Did Bully create a timeless classic or are some of the jokes, which are racist and homophobic, no longer funny? It is all the more exciting to take a fresh look at the movie after all these years.
Since the announcement of the sequel, we at Moviepilot have done just that several times and come to various conclusions. Yes, some scenes in Der Schuh des Manitu are extremely unpleasant. Nevertheless, Bully demonstrates a great understanding of the genre here and is aware of the cinematic merits of his role models.
The way Santa Maria is staged as a disgustingly charming villain is a stroke of genius, and if we’re honest, Manitou’s Shoe is better than most of the spoof movies that followed in the footsteps of Scary Movie, which took great blockbusters to task in a rarely ingenious way at the beginning of the 2000s.
