It is a drama but maybe this can only really be felt by germans, or East Germans in particular. The movie does make me feel a profound sadness from deep within. Sometimes unexplainable. Maybe its a long gone childhood that's reflected, the wallpapers, the humour...all of that and more. The feeling of being over run and and that all that was hard worked for and appreciated was now deemed unworthy and trash. Just a certain feeling that is gone and the movie captured THAT emotion really, really well.
Hello from Finland, I am exactly same age than Alex. I lived in Finland. Change here was not so harsh but we watched GDR change and lived that time thru. Liked film a lot. 1980's are gone for us all, not just for East Germans..
The film is about love, to what length children go to comfort their mother. The chemistry between mother and son is also stunning. And it is about a culture clash. Also due to the humor (and family drama as reality was not as it seemed like and was as it was told) it is absolutely in my top 25 ever movies.
Back in college my favorite class has a series of “German History through the Cinema” and this movie was meant to portray the “Ostslgie” or nostalgia of East Berlin. Outright my favorite movie of the class amongst absolute classics!
Thank you SO much for this wonderful review! As a former Soviet Pioneer, then Komsomol who had relatives in the DDR and visited them, this movie is so absolutely lovely, charming, and so, SO bittersweet. Watching this with 7 people - only ONE of whom hadn't lived in the Fraternal Socialist Brotherhood of Nations (the way of speaking comes back SO easily LOL), and who honestly thought of the Berlin Wall as The Anti-Fascist Bulwark, when we weren't laughing we had tears of Ostalgie/Sovstalgia/Jugostalgia. And at the end we were all openly crying. But a good, sweet cry. It means a lot that you think people should see this. I adore this movie.
So do I. I'm sure I've seen it 20 times. And I was in the Soviet Union in 1988 for a visit, and met so many Komsomol members! They were so generous, gifting us lapel pins with Lenin's likeness. I still treasure them.
Let's call them "Spreewald" Gurken. Yes, I still like them better than the west German pickles, and I'm born (1959) & raised in west Germany. Many East german products made its comeback and it is understandable when you grew up with it.
What's interesting about the end, is that his mom looks at him knowing that HE is the one that hasn't accepted change yet. We finish the movie and he still thinks she didn't know how the transition happened. He created a version for her, but he believed in that version himself. She was told, earlier, by the nurse, what had really happened.
I first came across Goodbye Lenin when my sister studied it as part of her university degree in French and German Linguistics. Without doubt it's my favourite foreign language film. I highly recommend it :)
Not to mention the MASTERFUL score! Yank Tiersen somehow expresses post-Soviet nostalgia, farfetched comedy, and intense emotion in his score for this movie.
I like how talks about how the characters connect the heart and the humor with the film. Because, for me, is a movie made with the heart. When I see the movie for a moment I feel nostalgic about the culture and politics of socialism ( and I didn’t live that age) also I laughed and cried in some parts of the story. The music also participates in the perfect moment and do it more nostalgic. Goodbye Lenin is a perfect movie that creates curiosity about socialism.
Thanks for the prompt Lady Grey. Inspired by your commitment I just reached viewing #5 with a friend who had not seen it. He was a bit "yeah, it was alright but nothing special" regarding the experience. I was as engaged by it as the FIRST time about six or seven years ago! I have come to realise the film has a perfect pace as every scene folds and weaves beautifully into the next scene with the timing of cuts / action / reaction / plot advancement / plot (and character) reflection all sitting in just the right balance. A well orchestrated concerto that gets better with time.
@@betweenthecracksfilmreview3975 Yes, I agree. It also helps to understand German. I think that one "gets" this film best with a good amount of knowledge of this period of history, as well. I know that even by the third time watching it, I was still noticing new bits. There is so much going on, between the Wall, the relationship between Alex and his sister and girlfriend, the missing father, the comments between Alex and Rainer about Ossis and Wessis...
Hate to be a hater, but I can't even describe how much of a disservice this review does that film. You caught onto the silliest and most inconsequential bits and I feel like u didn't even see the second half. You're right it does have an incredible heart and you didn't spoil much, but all of the density, reconciliation and love is toward the end. Absolutely essential cinema for understanding contemporary East/West Europe.
it was a much needed therapeutic "dramedy" in an age, where many east german felt as failure, lost family members, shattered dreams and facing the reality and felt second class citizen and hurt by west german companies exploitation while west german were full of sorrow how western gov and people would be able to build up a country like east germany with broken economy, broken cities and saw the differences in the culture that changed over decades and how to fit with each other.
Oh, I didnt know it wasnt translate into English. Thats too bad. I dont know if I would watch this movie and also like it as an foreigner. Above that I dont know how much information about the DDR and BRD do you get in other countries to be able to smile and laugh about the many jokes and allusions. I would highly recommend this movie although its pretty hard with subtitle, but its worth it!
The version with english subs can be found on both youtube (in low quality) and on other websites (high quality)...I'm not going to say exactly where in case the censorship ppl try to take it down. But keep searching & you'll find it
this is not a comedy this about how the german change things.this is about change,,,,,,, this is about ddr is now a trademak for dance dance revolution
Watching this, I wondered what the crimes of East Germany were, compared to those of Australia in the same period (like, not recognising that indigenous people were human beings!). If you had a better command of English it would also make you sound less thick.
It is a drama but maybe this can only really be felt by germans, or East Germans in particular. The movie does make me feel a profound sadness from deep within. Sometimes unexplainable. Maybe its a long gone childhood that's reflected, the wallpapers, the humour...all of that and more. The feeling of being over run and and that all that was hard worked for and appreciated was now deemed unworthy and trash. Just a certain feeling that is gone and the movie captured THAT emotion really, really well.
Very well said
Hello from Finland, I am exactly same age than Alex. I lived in Finland. Change here was not so harsh but we watched GDR change and lived that time thru. Liked film a lot. 1980's are gone for us all, not just for East Germans..
The film is about love, to what length children go to comfort their mother. The chemistry between mother and son is also stunning. And it is about a culture clash. Also due to the humor (and family drama as reality was not as it seemed like and was as it was told) it is absolutely in my top 25 ever movies.
Back in college my favorite class has a series of “German History through the Cinema” and this movie was meant to portray the “Ostslgie” or nostalgia of East Berlin. Outright my favorite movie of the class amongst absolute classics!
Thank you SO much for this wonderful review! As a former Soviet Pioneer, then Komsomol who had relatives in the DDR and visited them, this movie is so absolutely lovely, charming, and so, SO bittersweet. Watching this with 7 people - only ONE of whom hadn't lived in the Fraternal Socialist Brotherhood of Nations (the way of speaking comes back SO easily LOL), and who honestly thought of the Berlin Wall as The Anti-Fascist Bulwark, when we weren't laughing we had tears of Ostalgie/Sovstalgia/Jugostalgia. And at the end we were all openly crying. But a good, sweet cry. It means a lot that you think people should see this. I adore this movie.
So do I. I'm sure I've seen it 20 times. And I was in the Soviet Union in 1988 for a visit, and met so many Komsomol members! They were so generous, gifting us lapel pins with Lenin's likeness. I still treasure them.
Beautiful comments ❤
"Daniel Bruhl as Alex gained a major boost with this film.." so did Seewald Pickles!
Let's call them "Spreewald" Gurken. Yes, I still like them better than the west German pickles, and I'm born (1959) & raised in west Germany. Many East german products made its comeback and it is understandable when you grew up with it.
What's interesting about the end, is that his mom looks at him knowing that HE is the one that hasn't accepted change yet. We finish the movie and he still thinks she didn't know how the transition happened. He created a version for her, but he believed in that version himself. She was told, earlier, by the nurse, what had really happened.
I first came across Goodbye Lenin when my sister studied it as part of her university degree in French and German Linguistics. Without doubt it's my favourite foreign language film. I highly recommend it :)
Not to mention the MASTERFUL score! Yank Tiersen somehow expresses post-Soviet nostalgia, farfetched comedy, and intense emotion in his score for this movie.
I like how talks about how the characters connect the heart and the humor with the film. Because, for me, is a movie made with the heart. When I see the movie for a moment I feel nostalgic about the culture and politics of socialism ( and I didn’t live that age) also I laughed and cried in some parts of the story. The music also participates in the perfect moment and do it more nostalgic.
Goodbye Lenin is a perfect movie that creates curiosity about socialism.
Just watched this film- appreciated watching your review afterwards:) Thanks!
Amazing review! Deserves way more views, very well put.
Thank you for appreciating our subtle YET existing sense of humor! AM-EN!!!!
I like this film too much i have watched 5 times. :'D
Thanks for the prompt Lady Grey. Inspired by your commitment I just reached viewing #5 with a friend who had not seen it. He was a bit "yeah, it was alright but nothing special" regarding the experience. I was as engaged by it as the FIRST time about six or seven years ago! I have come to realise the film has a perfect pace as every scene folds and weaves beautifully into the next scene with the timing of cuts / action / reaction / plot advancement / plot (and character) reflection all sitting in just the right balance. A well orchestrated concerto that gets better with time.
Seen my *Vespa?!*
@@betweenthecracksfilmreview3975 Yes, I agree. It also helps to understand German. I think that one "gets" this film best with a good amount of knowledge of this period of history, as well. I know that even by the third time watching it, I was still noticing new bits. There is so much going on, between the Wall, the relationship between Alex and his sister and girlfriend, the missing father, the comments between Alex and Rainer about Ossis and Wessis...
Hate to be a hater, but I can't even describe how much of a disservice this review does that film. You caught onto the silliest and most inconsequential bits and I feel like u didn't even see the second half. You're right it does have an incredible heart and you didn't spoil much, but all of the density, reconciliation and love is toward the end. Absolutely essential cinema for understanding contemporary East/West Europe.
it was a much needed therapeutic "dramedy" in an age, where many east german felt as failure, lost family members, shattered dreams and facing the reality and felt second class citizen and hurt by west german companies exploitation while west german were full of sorrow how western gov and people would be able to build up a country like east germany with broken economy, broken cities and saw the differences in the culture that changed over decades and how to fit with each other.
If you did not shed a year at the end , you're not human.
I can only hate Hollywood for buying Daniel Brühl... how come Alex turned into Helmut Zemo, FFS?!?
Daniel is wonderful as Zemo though
@@crystalDM96 I agree, plus he’s a dilf
@@ComradeHeydi spitting the important facts!!! i believe in daniel bruhl dilf supremacy
Oh, I didnt know it wasnt translate into English. Thats too bad.
I dont know if I would watch this movie and also like it as an foreigner.
Above that I dont know how much information about the DDR and BRD do you get in other countries to be able to smile and laugh about the many jokes and allusions.
I would highly recommend this movie although its pretty hard with subtitle, but its worth it!
No its not lol, unless you're a slow reader or something. I've watched 3 German movies with subs and they were all great and easy to understand!
I can’t find it anywhere. Google Play, RUclips movies? Where is it? Oh and English subtitles please!
Amazon Prime
The version with english subs can be found on both youtube (in low quality) and on other websites (high quality)...I'm not going to say exactly where in case the censorship ppl try to take it down. But keep searching & you'll find it
I have no idea as to other countries’ iTunes, but it is available for purchase on Canadian iTunes.
What the fuck was that salty comment on Daniel about?
Good Luck in the exam
this is not a comedy this about how the german change things.this is about change,,,,,,, this is about ddr is now a trademak for dance dance revolution
Hi Between The Cracks! Is there a way that I can get in touch with you? Would love to collaborate! :)
I think u stop giving movie review????
Watching this, I wondered what the crimes of East Germany were, compared to those of Australia in the same period (like, not recognising that indigenous people were human beings!). If you had a better command of English it would also make you sound less thick.
East Germany was a prison for 16 million people.
The GDR took care of its people more than Australia or any other capitalist state, it’s depressing reading about all that was lost in reunification
*"Thankyou for choosing Goodbye Lenin - film review 26. Have a nice day."*