Der Pass (Pagan Peaks) TV Crime Thriller Series

I’m glad I waited until I’d seen all eight episodes of this German / Austrian co-production. Unlike the reviewer of a popular daily paper, I’m not going to write obvious lazy generalities, comparing it to the Bridge, the Tunnel and other programmes that deal with cross border police investigations. I think he even managed to bring Corbyn and Boris into his review, so I’m not sure we both watched the same series at all.  Der Pass might resemble Scandi Noir in its atmosphere and pacing, but Wiedemann and Berg, producers of Dark and The Lives of Others have brought to screen a cracking story with unexpected twists and an outstanding Austrian / German cast. 

When a bizarrely staged frozen body is found on top of a snowy pass straddling the Austrian / German border (described by previously mentioned reviewer as the dullest pass in Europe, it is in fact not used in the winter due to the altitude and snow levels), teams from both countries are forced to work together to investigate this strange murder. The German team is led by a female inspector, Ellie Stocker, while her Austrian counterpart is Gedeon Winter, a lost soul in every meaning of the word. He’s addicted to pretty much everything going and has lost all interest in life, his work or his fellow man. Played by the classically trained Nicholas Ofczarek, we see a slob of a man, albeit it an intelligent one, who is cynical and lacks empathy. Will this case finally strip him of all humanity or will it offer a sliver of hope for redemption?

Ellie Stocker, movingly played by the talented German actor Julia Jentsch, is a bright positive cop, who despite her cheery demeanour struggles with her own personal challenges. After initial clashes, they are able to work together as they set aside their egos and focus on hunting down this murderer, whose killing spree is escalating at an alarming rate. I found his use of masks to be particularly disturbing. It's not enough to kill people, but to observe the victims behind a mask of anonymity and  revel in their fear .... the use of the very real Alpine Pagan Krampus tradition is inspired. If you are taken with the masks and costumes you must book your next holiday for December 6th, the Feast of St Nicholas and you can get your adrenaline pumping just by hanging out in an Austrian village which honours this frightening custom. 

What makes this series so interesting psychologically, is that we encounter the psychopathic serial killer early on and can follow his development down a road of total destructive evil. Franz Hartwig puts in a stellar performance with great subtlety and credibility.

Representing our esteemed press is a glory-hunting journalist who is happy to destroy lives as long as he gets his story. I wonder to what extent this sub plot and characterisation have affected some reviews of this outstanding series.

Other reviewers have called the setting stunning or beautiful, but if you’ve ever seen the Austrian mountains, you will know that the camera work has succeeded in portraying the Alps as creepy, reeking of evil, and eerie. You won’t find a holiday picture postcard landscape or the sun sparkling on fresh snow. You won’t find friendly hospitable ski instructors, but damaged hard-nosed natives struggling with the ambiguous challenges of daily life. Not one of them bears any resemblance to Maria in the Sound of Music. In fact, one of my favourite film composers, Hans Zimmer, contributed to the quirky sound track, which firmly places the story on the Austrian side of the border.

Shown by Sky Atlantic in the original German with subtitles, you should be able to get it ‘on demand’.
(T.Forsyth-Moser)