Solo Sunny (1980) User Reviews

Never give up!

[meggy_cold316 · 8/10 · 25 September 2005]

The most significant element in this film is the protagonist, the heroine that portrayed a different character from the women in other DEFA films. I really admire the personality of Sunny: self-determining and strong-willed. Sunny was a clear representation of the position of women in the GDR society during those times. She was not the ideal nor the stereotypical woman. Rather, she was an embodiment of reality- a woman who works according to her capabilities, a woman who won't let anyone or anything overpower her.

Besides its intention to present issues about women, this film also served as an instrument to motivate its audience through the themes it carried with it. As a viewer, I was inspired to pursue the things that were just stocked in my mind until I've seen this film.

Socially relevant, instigating, thought-provoking. This is Solo Sunny.

Slow, but intensive

[DasGlasperlenspiel · 8/10 · 24 April 2022]

The film shows the artist milieu of the Prenzlauer Berg district in what was then East Berlin. The singer Sunny dreams of a great artistic breakthrough. But the reality of her life in a desolate rear building in Berlin is incredibly sad, her band's performances in the provinces are disappointing, her fellow musicians are dull and often drunk and her male acquaintances are sometimes violent. It's a miracle that Sunny doesn't lose her will to face life under this circumstances. The film develops the story slowly and carefully. But the atmosphere is dense and it's fun to watch the actors doing it.

Sunny is a singer in a band who wants to have a solo career and looking for love.

[liar_liar_12 · 8/10 · 29 September 2005]

The female character was said to be not a representation of the women on the GDR at that time. She was considered to be aggressive and unfeminine due to her behavior. In this film, the female heroine was shown in a different light. This was one of the DEFA films that pictured women in as independent individuals who were for social change. The character of Sunny was not like other female characters that were usually portrayed at their workplaces, as average individuals.

Sunny's character was not a conformist to the standards set by the society. She was aiming for change; she was striving for self-fulfillment. This was depicted through her dream of becoming a solo performer. She wanted to be recognized and have a place in society.

Her character was shown as a strong one because she fights against the cruelty of men to her. But then signs of weaknesses were also shown during her suicide attempt.

It helped that the film was in color because it matches Sunny's character, very vibrant. Add to that the lively music background. Since Suny is a singer, and a performer, these elements have helped a lot in the development of the film.

Not your average Konrad Wolf film!

[moodzilla · 12 April 2004]

Other Konrad Wolf films tend to handle political/war issues.. this one is more about day to day life in GDR. Toss in a bit of personal ambition/desire and you have a very unique film addressing career issues of 1970's Berlin. Filled with questions about the entertainment industry, women's issues, sexual liberation and more.....

Solo Sunny is not only an exploration into class issues (that where supposedly abolished by the GDR) but one into the existential meaning of why any of us are on this planet, no matter what our religion, nationality, ethnicity or gender. It is important to realize that Sunny represents, if only symbolicaly, many of the non- mainstream GDR citizens in her quest to realize her dreams.

Slow and uninspiring for the most part

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 18 February 2016]

"Solo Sunny" is a 1980 German film that runs for 100 minutes and stars Renate Krößner in her career-defining role. Actually, you have to be a bit more precise as this movie written and directed by Wolfgang Kohlhaase is one of the most known films from the German Democratic Republic. It is a bit of a biopic and circles around Sunny, an East German woman in her 30s who wants to become a successful musician as well as find love and we get to witness her during her struggles on the way to achieving both. Or will she really?

I cannot say I cared too much for the protagonist, even if Krößner (who is still an active actress today) played her part well. I guess it was more because the character was written in a very bland way that you as the audience never really felt involved and wanted her to become happy or had a clear preference in terms of which man may be the right choice for her. So yeah, a thumbs down for the story from me and that's basically also what hurts the film the most overall. The music is good, especially Sunny's theme song. We hear the melody from it and sometimes also the lyrics on several occasions throughout the entire film. Sadly, this one alone is not enough to keep this movie from being a disappointment. It's not a complete failure, but I cannot really understand its popularity. Maybe you need to have been alive in 1980 and lived in the GDR or actually be a rock musician like Sunny in order to appreciate this film. Neither description fits me and that's why I do not recommend the viewing.

solo sunny is a film about women's wants and quest for a place in society

[ryan-oliva · 5/10 · 27 September 2005]

Sunny is a singer in a roving band. She has a restless life. She is single and she lives on her own. She seeks her individual self-fulfillment. She shows her individuality by living a bohemian life, wearing glamorous makeup and acting provocatively most of the time. She has a feisty personality. Sunny has one ambition: to be a star. Throughout the film, she gets ready for a big solo performance.

I like the way she was portrayed. Her rebelliousness has a certain appeal which adds to the charm of the movie. DEFA's female characters are often portrayed as regular workers. They have no glamorous trappings. In spite of Sunny's "glamor," (as required by her singing job) we can still see that she works hard. Unlike Hollywood films, DEFA women characters are not portrayed as temptresses, vamps etc.

The role of women in Solo Sunny

[vj_kristeene · 4/10 · 18 September 2005]

The movie is about the role of women in the GDR... basically, women were craving for independence and appreciation. Sunny, the lead character, tried her best to survive in a very hostile place/group. The men in her life were actually seen as the antagonists. The character development was at times inconsistent... Contradiction could also be observed in that movie like Sunny, having been developed as an independent character, needed someone, like Ralph, to fill the space or emptiness...

Although I am a feminist myself, I didn't like the character of Sunny because in the movie, she was seen as a very irresponsible woman... a woman of the world... a woman who didn't care about the people around her... a modern woman...

The movie is a bit dragging and exasperating at some point... but nevertheless, it is a movie about changes and realizations...

Boring movie about boring people in a boring country

[Gray62 · 5/10 · 21 May 2020]

In my western German view, it's a movie about a not very smart woman, with a talent for singing, surrounded by mostly not especially intelligent people, in a communist country where intelligentsia was either toeing the one-party-line or regarded with suspicion. Apart from a few easily recognizable and unrealistic propaganda statements, certainly necessary to help the film pass censorship, it's probably an honest depiction of the life of mediocre musicians in a country where art and culture where regulated by the state. It's also very boring, because there was no freedom to do interesting things and no such opportunities anyway, I guess. If you're not especially interested in life in the former GDR, stay away from this sad example of top-down imposed mediocrity or you will regret you wasted your time on this.