Lolas gravitate toward boxoffice flops

April 26, 2009 Art and commerce are often strange bedfellows, but the gap between culture and boxoffice has rarely been as wide as it was Friday night when "John Rabe" won big at the German Film Awards, taking home four Lolas. Florian Gallenberger's film, which tells the true story of a German businessman who saved thousands from the Nanking Massacre, has all the elements of a foreign-language Academy Award contender: a historically significant true story, powerful performances (by stars Ulrich Tukur, Steve Buscemi and Daniel Bruhl) and a sweeping, epic style that screams Oscar. Despite the star cast, a high-profile premiere at the Berlinale and major media coverage, the film did not deliver, earning just over $700,000 in three weeks.

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