Goodbye Lenin!
Last night, I watched Germany `s highest grosser in its history of film industry, "Goodbye Lenin!". A film by Wolfgang Becker,the film boasts a great cast with Daniel Bruhl in the lead and other unknown names (to me) but perhaps very popular in Germany. The story is about Christiane Kerne ( a commited Socialist) , an East Berlin citizen, who fell into coma after she saw his son was involved in a street demonstration against the government on the eve of regime change in DDR. She woke up 8 months later, missing the changes that took place in her country after the reunification of Germany and collapse of Berlin Wall-the arrival of foreign products, in East Berlin `s market like those pickled jars from Holland, Coca-Cola and of course, the "burger we all love": Burger King. Both of Christiane`s children, Alex and Ariane were advised by their mother `s physician not to put their mother in any state of shock as that would be fatal to her and of course, the demise of DDR would be a hell of a shocker to her. Alex, with the help of his sister, newly found girlfriend, Lara, Ariane`s zombie-like love interest, their neighbours and of course his pal at the satellite company did everything within their power to re-create the Lenin era within their apartment. This include producing fake DDR News broadcasts that worked out so convincingly that his mother was reassured from her bed, that East German is still safe under the ruling of the Socialist government.
The movie was hillarious but had, between the funny scenes and lines, hints at re-painting the reunification of Germany from an ordinary citizen point of view, "ossis" as the former East German `s citizens are termed, had known the life they led behind the wall for a long time. How would they deal with the reunification? How would they swallow the rapid changes that are attacking their old social construction? No doubt that most of them are unhappy of the Socialist which explains their escape to the West, but once, the other half of them could still claim "this is my country". I remember the old man who kept murmuring as he walked, "After 40 years, and this is what we get?". It`s an expression of frustration and longing for things to be back to normal. But no one pays attention to him. Just like what the superpowers and the powers that be in the country did to the people. The divide and reunification of Germany is the result of political play and power struggle of the authorities. It abandoned the feelings and opinion of the people. So, the elaborate outlook on how ordinary people in East Berlin, young or old, dealt with the historic event is a refresher.
A friend that watched the movie perceives it as a critique to the DDR government, speicifically referring to Sosialist government as backward and unable to accept modernisation, progess and the important drive of free market. This was represented by Christiane `s character itself. She died believing that Lenin won after all. She believed the lies. Her loyalty to the party extended to a hillarious level that she believed West Germans would flee to East Germany to escape the seduction of capitalism? Its a question of loyalty vs fact. It is also an attack right to the jugular for Socialism. Is Chrisitiane character an allegory to Socialism?
The Westernization of culture was presented in colorful and incisive scenes; discos, Coca-cola, joints, satellite tvs,nudity etc and some of Bach pieces were played at the background here and there, reflecting East German `s sense of pride with Bach Sebastian, the great musician from East German. The scene involving Christiane asking how come a huge Coca-Cola banner escaped the wall was funny. Alex `s concocted explanation went down well with his mom including the part where he claimed cola was founded in East German. Well, speaking of symbolism, the part where the helicopter carried part of Lenin statue away as Christiane looked on to me, represents the departure of Socialism from DDR.
What can I say about the movie? go and see it. Some of the jokes work if you are aware of Germany `s stuffs but throughout the movie, you won `t miss out the gist of the movie despite of your ignorance of Germany `s culture and social construct. In my opinion, it is a movie that motivates you to learn more about what actually happens to the people in East German during that era 1989-1990. At least, that` s what the movie did to me.
Note: Wolfgeng Becker was born and lived in West Germany his whole life.Hmm....
The movie was hillarious but had, between the funny scenes and lines, hints at re-painting the reunification of Germany from an ordinary citizen point of view, "ossis" as the former East German `s citizens are termed, had known the life they led behind the wall for a long time. How would they deal with the reunification? How would they swallow the rapid changes that are attacking their old social construction? No doubt that most of them are unhappy of the Socialist which explains their escape to the West, but once, the other half of them could still claim "this is my country". I remember the old man who kept murmuring as he walked, "After 40 years, and this is what we get?". It`s an expression of frustration and longing for things to be back to normal. But no one pays attention to him. Just like what the superpowers and the powers that be in the country did to the people. The divide and reunification of Germany is the result of political play and power struggle of the authorities. It abandoned the feelings and opinion of the people. So, the elaborate outlook on how ordinary people in East Berlin, young or old, dealt with the historic event is a refresher.
A friend that watched the movie perceives it as a critique to the DDR government, speicifically referring to Sosialist government as backward and unable to accept modernisation, progess and the important drive of free market. This was represented by Christiane `s character itself. She died believing that Lenin won after all. She believed the lies. Her loyalty to the party extended to a hillarious level that she believed West Germans would flee to East Germany to escape the seduction of capitalism? Its a question of loyalty vs fact. It is also an attack right to the jugular for Socialism. Is Chrisitiane character an allegory to Socialism?
The Westernization of culture was presented in colorful and incisive scenes; discos, Coca-cola, joints, satellite tvs,nudity etc and some of Bach pieces were played at the background here and there, reflecting East German `s sense of pride with Bach Sebastian, the great musician from East German. The scene involving Christiane asking how come a huge Coca-Cola banner escaped the wall was funny. Alex `s concocted explanation went down well with his mom including the part where he claimed cola was founded in East German. Well, speaking of symbolism, the part where the helicopter carried part of Lenin statue away as Christiane looked on to me, represents the departure of Socialism from DDR.
What can I say about the movie? go and see it. Some of the jokes work if you are aware of Germany `s stuffs but throughout the movie, you won `t miss out the gist of the movie despite of your ignorance of Germany `s culture and social construct. In my opinion, it is a movie that motivates you to learn more about what actually happens to the people in East German during that era 1989-1990. At least, that` s what the movie did to me.
Note: Wolfgeng Becker was born and lived in West Germany his whole life.Hmm....
posted by GEE at 9:58 AM
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