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Reviews
Das Wunder von Berlin (2008)
The end of the DDR in microcosm
This film attempts, successfully, to present within a single family, the range of human responses to the DDR and its regime during its final year or so of existence. It certainly is a mix. Paterfamilias is Jürgen Kaiser, an MfS (Stasi, secret police) official. His son Marco is a Punk, a rebel. Of the other family members, Marco's grandfather constantly relives the "good old days" of the Second World War Wehrmacht, while his mother and new girlfriend are inclined towards the neo-democratic movements such as the Neues Forum.
It is hard to credit, if one did not know, how strong the Punk Rock movement was in Berlin during the '80s, or the lengths to which the DDR government went to suppress the movement. Marco attends a Punk event, where he meets a new girlfriend. The event is broken up by the Volkspolizei, and Marco is arrested.
He now faces a dilemma. This situation would have put his further studies in jeopardy, except that his father intervenes. If he is prepared to volunteer as an Unteroffizier in the NVA for three years (as opposed to 18 months' compulsory conscription), he will redeem himself (this reverses the usual order in the DDR, where studies were followed by a longer term of service). Very unwillingly, Marco agrees. "I hate you," he tells his father, even as they shake hands to seal the agreement. "That is your privilege as an adolescent," his father replies.
Then, unexpectedly, Marco takes to the military life, and the former Punk rebel becomes a dedicated defender of the socialist Fatherland. As the situation develops, tension arises between the members of the family, which slowly starts to break up. Eventually, as the final crisis approaches, Marco is left at the front line of the Wall itself. The final twist, when it comes, is so unexpected and understated that one might almost miss it if one is not paying careful attention.
There are a number of other twists and surprises in the plot, none of which merits discussion here, all of which are, however, essential contributors to the development of the human situation. And developments there are. There is not a single weak character in the film, and all the characters undergo intense and convincing developments. Despite the extreme positions reflected in the film, it is refreshingly free of contrived devices and unconvincing human situations. I found it a profoundly moving story.
As in An die Grenze and many films of this kind, including the present one there can be quibbles. For example, the resistance shown in the churches happened in Leipzig rather than Berlin. The licence taken in this way in the story is nevertheless justified by the scenario it presents.
I cannot single out a single weak actor. All the performances are strong and, again, convincing. It is a film well worth watching; one does not have to single out a particular reason for doing so. My only regret is the complete absence of subtitles. I would have liked an English subtext, since the vital perspective of this film is not usually seen in the English-speaking world when the Cold War era or the Berlin Wall makes an appearance.
An die Grenze (2007)
An outstanding film with a highly authentic milieu
An die Grenze manages to escape much of the "Ostalgie" (longing back for East Germany) one finds in so many films about the former DDR. It traces the story of an idealistic young border guard who wants to escape the privileges which his academic father's position affords him. Much of the plot might be unlikely in practice; for example, the romantic interest. I am sure, in addition, that ex-NVA conscripts might find any number of mistakes or anachronisms. I spotted one; that the soles of the boots of a soldier with more than a year's service were absolutely brand new (though the boots were undoubtedly of authentic East German issue).
Apart from such quibbles, if you are looking for a film which recreates the life of a conscript in the NVA (Nationale Volksarmee), this film goes a long way towards fulfilling that need. The brutal regime of EK's (Entlassungskandidate), soldiers in their final 6 months of service, some of the authentic initiation "games" they used on the "Sprutze" (rookies), the political lectures, the general atmosphere and character of an East German barracks; all of this is well represented.
So, too, is the wearying character of the border itself; the endless wire fences, the inspection roads, the great arc lights, the border guards patrolling two-by-two, making escape so much more difficult, the posting of guards by truck, the communications and procedures. The border is, in fact, almost a character in itself.
The film thus really does recreate the harsh and ugly reality of the German-German border, the unbearably dull life of the DDR. It also exposes the hollow propaganda lie of the border as a defense against the hostile West. I served in the South African Defence Force 1973-1975, the exact time in which this film is set. It was in many ways quite different from the NVA, its discipline perhaps even harsher. But in terms of this background, as well as knowledge of the NVA acquired in recent years, all my instincts incline me to accept this film as representative of its milieu. It has a "ring of authenticity" about it which is unmistakable to someone who has actually experienced military conscription.
In fairness to former NVA conscripts, mention should be made of another significant deviation from absolute reality. It is this; that while daily life as presented is representative of an ordinary NVA barracks, it does not represent that of the border guards as such. They in fact had no EKs, and in their barracks strict silence was kept, since their life was divided into three "beats"; sleeping, readiness for guard duty, and guard duty itself. The story thus conflates two separate realities into a totality which did not happen exactly as it is presented - but given this, the film still does present actuality.
Of the plot itself I will say nothing - it is well-constructed, and moves steadily and inexorably forwards towards its excellent and satisfying climax. The cruelties of the barracks are balanced against the intense humanity of its main characters. Performances are universally of a high standard, and the film is understated in the way one has come to expect of the German film industry. Jacob Matschentz, who plays his big role with great skill, manages to convey the development in the character of Soldat Alexander Karow subtly but clearly. He is rarely absent from the scene, but never becomes dull. The other, long-serving officers may be slightly caricatured, but none offends the progress of the plot. The direction maintains the atmosphere of fear and unease from beginning to end.
A highly recommended film to anyone who wants an experience of this harsh but forgotten era.