As others have observed about this film, the idea of a woman who seeks to make a new life for herself (and her son), yet finds it difficult to do so, is territory that has been explored before. And, for people who are familiar with German-language films in general, the ideas explored in this film probably seem very familiar indeed.
Speaking as a person who has not seen a significant number of German-language films, I found myself very engaged with this story from start to finish. One of the aspects of this story that I think others might connect with as well, especially for anyone who has ever gone to live in another country for a significant length of time, is how difficult it can be to overcome the many obstacles that exist, some of which are placed in front of you by the government of your new country. Thus of the many challenges that our protagonist has to overcome, seeing how a government official often has to place a stamp in a document to get past them may be all too familiar (and painful) to many of us, regardless of what country we might have gone to live in.
Some of the other obstacles put in the way of Nelly in her quest to build a new life will also be very familiar to many, for instance, how the fact that she has an advanced degree, and how her experience with doing research in a lab setting, is looked at as far below the standards of her new country (whereas in all likelihood, she would be more than qualified to do the work in West Germany, just as she had been in East Germany). I suspect that if she had been a man rather than a woman, she might have gotten more favorable treatment -- but that is a topic for another day, and for other films!
One of the most important parts of the story has to do with the extent to which Nelly's paranoia gradually increases as time goes by, fueled in no small part by what she is led to believe by the character John Bird. As others have observed (and likely will continue to observe), the way their relationship plays out is one of the less satisfying aspects of this film, and even though I have not read the book, what I've heard from others leads me to believe that John Bird's character in the film is not developed to nearly the extent that it could have been.
I found the most fascinating character in the film to be Hans, who is one of the other residents in the government housing complex with Nelly and her son, Alexej. (On a side note, I would say that there are three characters that are particularly well-developed and well- acted, specifically, Alexej, Nelly, and Hans.) In Hans, we have a character whose past is largely unknown to us, and it is through his character that we come to understand to what extent xenophobia is rampant throughout this housing complex, in that he is widely viewed as a Stasi informant. We at first only suspect as much based on dismissive glances in his direction, and ultimately find confirmation that this is the case when he is brutally beaten. It is this type of dynamic, and how it was expressed, that I found to be one of the most insightful aspects of this film.
The centerpiece of the film, and in my view its most powerful aspect, is how the relationship between mother and son evolves as they react to their new environment. With Alexej, we observe a very natural inclination to want to spend time with Hans, especially as Nelly's paranoia grows ever stronger, which erodes her relationship with her son. And, Nelly too succumbs to the temptation to paint Hans with the same broad brush as everyone else (other than Alexej). I would say this difference in perspective, between mother and son, on their experiences in their new country, is expressed in a very profound way, and we are left to wonder how it will impact their relationship after the credits roll.
Speaking as a person who has not seen a significant number of German-language films, I found myself very engaged with this story from start to finish. One of the aspects of this story that I think others might connect with as well, especially for anyone who has ever gone to live in another country for a significant length of time, is how difficult it can be to overcome the many obstacles that exist, some of which are placed in front of you by the government of your new country. Thus of the many challenges that our protagonist has to overcome, seeing how a government official often has to place a stamp in a document to get past them may be all too familiar (and painful) to many of us, regardless of what country we might have gone to live in.
Some of the other obstacles put in the way of Nelly in her quest to build a new life will also be very familiar to many, for instance, how the fact that she has an advanced degree, and how her experience with doing research in a lab setting, is looked at as far below the standards of her new country (whereas in all likelihood, she would be more than qualified to do the work in West Germany, just as she had been in East Germany). I suspect that if she had been a man rather than a woman, she might have gotten more favorable treatment -- but that is a topic for another day, and for other films!
One of the most important parts of the story has to do with the extent to which Nelly's paranoia gradually increases as time goes by, fueled in no small part by what she is led to believe by the character John Bird. As others have observed (and likely will continue to observe), the way their relationship plays out is one of the less satisfying aspects of this film, and even though I have not read the book, what I've heard from others leads me to believe that John Bird's character in the film is not developed to nearly the extent that it could have been.
I found the most fascinating character in the film to be Hans, who is one of the other residents in the government housing complex with Nelly and her son, Alexej. (On a side note, I would say that there are three characters that are particularly well-developed and well- acted, specifically, Alexej, Nelly, and Hans.) In Hans, we have a character whose past is largely unknown to us, and it is through his character that we come to understand to what extent xenophobia is rampant throughout this housing complex, in that he is widely viewed as a Stasi informant. We at first only suspect as much based on dismissive glances in his direction, and ultimately find confirmation that this is the case when he is brutally beaten. It is this type of dynamic, and how it was expressed, that I found to be one of the most insightful aspects of this film.
The centerpiece of the film, and in my view its most powerful aspect, is how the relationship between mother and son evolves as they react to their new environment. With Alexej, we observe a very natural inclination to want to spend time with Hans, especially as Nelly's paranoia grows ever stronger, which erodes her relationship with her son. And, Nelly too succumbs to the temptation to paint Hans with the same broad brush as everyone else (other than Alexej). I would say this difference in perspective, between mother and son, on their experiences in their new country, is expressed in a very profound way, and we are left to wonder how it will impact their relationship after the credits roll.