X
- 2004
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 2 h 1 m
- 2004
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 2 h 1 m
Summary A human story of the reunification not only of an entire nation, but of a family living in East Berlin. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Directed By: Wolfgang Becker
- 2004
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 2 h 1 m
- 2004
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 2 h 1 m
Goodbye Lenin!
68
8.2
Where to Watch
Summary A human story of the reunification not only of an entire nation, but of a family living in East Berlin. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Directed By: Wolfgang Becker
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
68
78% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
22% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
68
78% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
22% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
I don't claim to have seen every entry from around the world, but it's hard to imagine five better than this deliciously offbeat comedy, as wildly inventive as anything Billy Wilder ever conceived.
One of those gratifyingly nostalgic works of art that accept the present day but remind us, as well, that the past wasn't necessarily worse.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 114 User Ratings
8.2
89% Positive
102 Ratings
102 Ratings
3% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
8% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 114 User Ratings
8.2
89% Positive
102 Ratings
102 Ratings
3% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
8% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
Una buena historia sobre la reunificación alemana; muy dramática y conmovedora.
¡TOTALMENTE RECOMENDADA!
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The Cold War was marked, at the European level, by the "Iron Curtain", which included the division of Germany into two halves: the capitalist West Germany and East Germany, in line with USSR. The division existed until the fall of the Berlin Wall and divided families, cultures, mentalities and ways of life. In this movie, a young man decides to pretend that East Germany still exists, months after reunification, to spare his mother, a fierce socialist who has just woken up from a coma.
We are facing a true masterpiece of cinema. It's one of those fun and clever movies we've seen once and we want to see it again as soon as it's over. However, its not exactly a comedy, or at least not in its entirety. The film has some drama and the story of that family, especially that mother, is truly harsh, difficult and paradigmatic of a changing world. That mother represents well the past, and the pains of those who lived under a dictatorship, with difficulties and bitterness to which she had to turn around, while her emancipated, independent, creative and irreverent children manage to embody the aspirations **** that is eager for change, tired of decades of forced immobility. Another thing that strikes the eye is the speed with which everything changes, the almost dramatic and rough way in which the GDR falls and becomes Westernized.
The cast is made up of illustrious strangers to me, who am not a connoisseur of German cinema, but I think they were up to the challenge and did very well with what they were asked to do. The director, Wolfgang Becker, has achieved here his greatest work as a filmmaker. On a technical level, I especially highlight the careful photography, good camera angles, the way the movie played with color, light and shadow, the clever way it used scraps of television news and original archive material. Nor can I fail to highlight the extraordinary original soundtrack, by Yann Tiersen, who had been notable, two years earlier, with "Amelie" soundtrack.
Fairly nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film (which he lost to an Afghan film), its hard to believe as it was not even nominated for the Oscar in the same category. Who can explain Hollywood, do it! But who needs prizes anyway? This film has achieved immortality for its merit and quality, while many of those who receive awards end up forgotten a few years later.
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There's a strange, bittersweet melancholy in watching the protagonists of Good Bye, Lenin! being buffeted about by change, but refusing to let go of each other.
Becker handles the film's comedy with fluency.
This triumph of historical verisimilitude in the service of solid storytelling requires no detailed knowledge of the period to be appreciated as the moving story of a son's unconditional love for his mother.
It's a sweet family dramedy whose political undertones don't flatter either capitalism or "democratic socialism."
Will richly award locals with sly in-jokes and a wonderful comic performance by Bruhl. Non-Germans will certainly get the essence of the humor but may find the movie long and repetitive.
For every country there is a film, or several films, which truly represent their country of origin – for example “Amélie” for France, or perhaps the James Bond series for Britain. In my opinion, the film “Good Bye, Lenin!” fills this space for Germany, not only because of its historical setting.
This film contains one of Daniel Brühl’s earliest roles as Alex – later, he featured in such films as Inglorious Basterds and Rush. His portrayal of his character in this film, however, is only one part of a fantastic cast – particularly notable are Katrin Sass (who was already a well-known actress before Germany’s reunification) as Alex and Ariane’s bedridden mother Christiane, and Burghart Klaussner as their father Robert. The powerful portrayals of every character in this film, collectively, are one of the main reasons why this film is so believable. The feelings shown give a sense of immersion – you’re right there with Alex through all the confusion, happiness, pride and sadness.
The film is set directly before and after the reunification of Germany, however this historical setting is merely a background which supports the real plot – and said plot is a delicious mix of humour, drama and tension as Alex attempts to recreate the GDR for his mother, and also learns through this what his mother actually believed in – not necessarily the GDR’s government, but socialism as an ideal. In that sense the film touches on the “Ostalgia” which many former east Germans felt after the fall of the Wall by showing a different, rarely-seen perspective of the reunification, not only through Alex and his experiences, but also with the others who were once respected, but who are now out of work and feel worthless as a result – this serves to make the historical setting even more believable. Perhaps one could also say that Christiane serves as a metaphor for this “ostalgia”, in that she is kept in the past by Alex, and doesn’t realise that the GDR no longer exists as a result.
All in all, “Good Bye, Lenin!” is not only a masterpiece of film, but also a wonderful culturl achievement. Original, exciting and tragic, it could possibly be described as the German Film of the 21st century.
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The sociopolitical changes of Eastern Germany in 1990 through the perspective of the victims of changes. Stir of comedy and drama about how to survive transition no matter if implies white lies. One of best of recent German cinema.
Report
Interesting story with a very good screenplay. The movie is not a comedy, but more a drama, that shows how 1990 changed the life of a family in east berlin.
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Production Company
X-Filme Creative Pool,
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR),
ARTE
Release Date Feb 27, 2004
Duration 2 h 1 m
Rating R
Tagline Die DDR lebt weiter -- auf 79 qm!
Website
http://www.good-bye-lenin.de/
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
German Film Awards
• 9 Wins & 11 Nominations
European Film Awards
• 6 Wins & 8 Nominations
