Goodbye Lenin! (2003)
Directed by Wolfgang Becker
Written by Wolfgang Becker
Starring Daniel Bruhl, Katrin Sass, Alexander Beyer
Release Date February 13th, 2003
Published July 18th, 2004
Imagine a staunch Democrat who falls into a coma shortly after seeing Al Gore win Florida and be pronounced the next President of the United States. That person awakens months later not knowing the election was disputed and that somehow George W. Bush is President and you can't tell them because the slightest shock could kill them. That might make an interesting American version of the German film Goodbye Lenin! in which a staunch communist falls into a coma right before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.
Daniel Bruhl stars as Alex Kerner, the loyal, devoted son of Christiane (Katrin Sass) a party loyalist in 1980's East Berlin. Christiane is completely devoted to the state and has involved her children, Alex and sister Ariane (Maria Simon), in state activities. For Christiane, love of country replaced the love of her husband who escaped to the west years earlier.
As East Germany was beginning to see more and more uprising against the state, Christiane herself is attending state dinners honoring party leaders. It is on her way to a party function that she sees her son beaten by police for marching in a freedom parade. The sight causes Christiane to have a heart attack and fall into a coma. For eight months as Alex visited daily, Christiane slept through her country’s most historic changes. The wall falls, Germany is reunited, and communism is defeated.
However, because Christiane's condition is so fragile her doctors want Alex to slowly reveal these changes so as not to excite her. Alex feels she should not be told at all and thus conceives a massive lie that East Germany never fell and that communists still hold power. There are other changes to deal with as well that cannot be covered up. Alex's sister has a baby and a live in boyfriend Rainer (Alexander Beyer) and Alex himself has fallen in love with a nurse named Lara (Chulpan Khamatova).
I found the idea of Alex keeping these historic changes a secret from his mother to be almost cruel but as the film goes on and the lies become more intricate and elaborate you begin to sympathize with Alex. While you may not understand the lengths he goes to extend his lies, you can't help but feel for him. That has much to with Daniel Bruhl whose quiet demeanor and sensitive stare ease the sharp edges of Alex's misguided determination.
The premise sounds almost farcical but director Wolfgang Becker and writer Bernd Lichtenberg do not play the story for laughs. There is some comedy but the laughs are a natural outgrowth of the story and not forced. The mood of the picture is at times somber and yet you can't help but get caught up in these characters and this story. It also helps to have such a terrific supporting cast headed up by Katrin Sass who's dignified devotion to her beliefs really makes you believe the fall of the Berlin Wall could kill her.
I drew a correlation to start this review as to what an American version of this movie might be like but in reality, I don't believe it would work. This is a story very of its time and place. East Germany as it was just before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall is a character in this film and a necessary one. I would be very interested to hear a German perspective of this film, to hear it from someone who experienced this remarkable change and could compare it with this movie would be fascinating. Even still as an American, I can appreciate a good movie and Goodbye Lenin! is a very good movie.
