Taking place in East Germany, 1989, the movie is about a family consisting of a mother, son, and daughter. The mother, Christiane, is a strong socialist and a party member of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Christiane was dramatically shaken, but it only increased her passion for the GDR. One day, she witnesses her son, Alex, protesting in an anti-Berlin Wall demonstration and being apprehended by the police. Christiane suffers a heart attack from the sight and goes into a coma for 8 months. During that time period, much has changed, including the fall of the Berlin wall, the GDR being dissolved, and the reunification of West and East Germany. With the fall of the Berlin wall, socialism in on the decline and capitalism begins to …show more content…
Compared to our own class textbook, I feel as if the movie covered the change of East Germany well with emotional family love and a touch of comedy. The majority of my prior knowledge was confirmed by the movie. I knew that with the fall of the Berlin Wall, capitalism soon spread itself over East Germany, which was clearly shown. Also, although the majority of the German people rejoiced after the Berlin Wall was opened, many socialists were bitter and felt betrayed by the GDR, such as the socialist colleagues of Christiane. However, the movie could have portrayed the politics and German government more so the audience could have a better understand of what political life was like during the time. Also, the film could have shown how people, like Alex’s father, crossed the Berlin Wall and how difficult it was to make it across. Lastly, there were many things to learn and take from the film, Good-bye, Lenin. I learned how the sudden switch to capitalism from socialism affected the citizens of East Germany, especially how the old socialists were negatively affected. Besides that, I feel as if I already knew about most of what the film went over through the AP Euro history course. The only thing that really surprised me was when the mother admitted that Alex and his sister’s father did not actually cross to West Berlin over a woman. Rather, the father was harassed by the GDR because he was not a
The acting gives the story much personality and is really convincing. The most incredibly played character is Oskar, because he is such a complex child and it’s really hard to make him not stereotypical because he has Autism. The actors really made the story come to live.
The Berlin Wall was erected on August 13, 1961. After World War II, Germany was divided into four Allied occupation zones; Berlin, the German capital, was also divided into occupation sectors, even though it was located deep within the Soviet zone (History.com). In post war Germany, Cold War tensions grew, from situations such as the Berlin Blockade and the US’ Berlin Airlift (History.com). Not only were Cold War tensions growing but East Germany was now under a communist system (History.com). West Germany was in better condition because, unlike in East Germany, it received financial aid from the Marshall Plan (Burkhardt, H). Another big problem was the two different currencies used; West German currency, which was also use in West Berlin,
For thirty years, an iron curtain lay across Germany. This iron curtain was called the Berlin Wall, and it represented the divide between East and West Germany. It also represented the loss of East Germany’s freedom and democracy. The Berlin Wall separated families and friends. This resulted in children growing up without a father and wives losing all communication with their husbands. The Berlin Wall poorly affected many people and businesses, and caused an ugly dent in Germany’s history.
On the whole, does Goodbye, Lenin paint a positive or negative picture of life in communist East Germany?
wire and fences (Fall of the Berlin Wall). Life for the Eastern and Western Germans was
Set at the end of the Cold War in East Germany, the movie Goodbye Lenin is the story of a young man, Alex, trying to protect his mother, Christiane, who just spent the last eight months in a coma. Christiane is a personification of the values and ideology of socialism. She carries them out in her interactions with society, and is very hopeful towards the success of the regime. During her absence, the fall of the Berlin Wall and of the German Democratic Republic leads to a radical and turbulent change in society: the fall of socialism and the triumph of capitalism. Because of the shocking effect of such information and the danger of another heart attack, Alex creates for Christiane an ideological form of socialism. Fundamental themes in the movie are the difference between ideal and reality of socialism, as well as the positive and negative aspects of the transition to free market capitalism. Such themes are carried out through a juxtaposition of an ideal society and its reality in the form of a constructed reality of socialism. This idealized version of socialism served as an oasis from the chaotic transition from a problematic socialist regime to free market capitalism.
Overall, the film did exactly what any good dramatic film would do and that is make the audience feel something. The tragedy of the Holocaust has never been fictionally depicted from a German child’s view until this movie. The depiction of how a child who is protected from certain elements war might have thought in that era makes this film unique. The unbelievable conclusion is what makes this film unforgettable. The most important scene in the film is the ending, when Bruno
When the wall was put up one thing lead to many other things. If a mother had gone to say the west side of berlin for a couple of days while her family was in east berlin where they live during the time period that the wall had been put up, the mother would have to maybe wait some time before she could go back to east berlin with her family. When the wall was put up many scenarios just like this had happened and many families actually were split apart. Families being split up could lead to the other family members trying to get into the side they are on which was now considered illegal and if they had been caught trying to cross the wall they could have been shot on site. People trying to cross from east to the west was very common as it was believed that west was the more favourable side. By 1961 around 3 million east Berliners had gone over to live in the west this impacted the people living in the east because many who had moved were skilled labourers such as doctors this meant that there were only limited doctors for the
The map shows Germany was divided into West Berlin and East Berlin as a result of the cold war because the West Berlin was democratic while East Berlin was communist. In document 3b, an image is shown of the Berlin wall being built as a result of tension from both believing they sent spies and soldiers into one another’s territory. In West Berlin, the United States and its allies used its money to make West Berlin a good advert for democracy and capitalism. Citizens in West Berlin had good living conditions and earned good wages while the citizens in East Berlin were
Today the city of Berlin is a thriving city with excellent nightlife unlike it was in the midst of the cold war. Although the reunification of the two sides was painstaking and expensive, Berlin and all of Germany is growing to be a magnificent city today. In spite of all this you can still see the differences between the two sides of Germany today. Whether it's the economy, population, or school leavers, the contrast is clear and present today. Regardless Germany is working to be a stronger, more peaceful, and unified country. ("Fall of the
The characters in this movie were great actors. They acted so realistic that it looked as if it was occurring live from the scene of the action. All of the characters were excellent , especially the women when they got their hair cut off in the concentration camp.
The Berlin Wall had a major impact on humanity’s views on how society should be ruled. Berlin is the capital of Germany. After the ending of WWII, Berlin was split up into East Berlin, and West Berlin. East Berlin was communist, suffered from the repressions of the Communist Party. West Berlin had a better lifestyle, and had financial aid from the United States. From the years between nineteen forty-nine to nineteen sixty-one, approximately 2.5 million people from East Berlin escaped to West Berlin. This toll included skilled workers, professionals, and intellectuals. Because of the loss of these people, the economy in East Berlin was threatened. On August twelve-thirteen, nineteen sixty-one, the Berlin was built in order to stop the people of East Berlin from fleeing. The Berlin wall was a major point during the Cold War, and many opposed it. It gave another reason to detest communism.
Movies created in Soviet Russia were prominently used as a tool for propaganda, “The Fall of Berlin,” used contrast to idealize Soviet Russia by downplaying Germany and Hitler. “The Fall of Berlin” was released in 1950, right after World War II ended. The film is Soviet propaganda that was thought to insure faith within the Russian population, as Stalin wanted Soviet Russia to believe in him. The movie characterized Stalin with such gratitude and admiration, even I believed he was a good leader.
In contrast to the desolate picture life in East Berlin painted, the economy of West Germany, which also included West Berlin, was rebounding and becoming quite strong. West Berlin’s businesses were booming, and their industry products were readily and rapidly bought by its resident who were eager to obtain the products and goods they had so long been deprived of previously, as a result of World War II.10 This new and heightening demand for goods pushed wages up quickly, and many new jobs were created with the development of new housing units and other construction enterprises.11 Movies, plays, and concerts were also available for West Berlin residents to enjoy, and overall life in West Berlin was good. However, life on the West side wasn’t all fun and games. Their city was still divided, and families were still separated. To the children of West Berlin residents, East Berlin was hidden from view and shrouded in mystery, their only knowledge of the other side coming through school or some form of media. It seemed they constantly asked themselves the question, “ Will the lives of East and West Germans forever be so vastly different and separate?”
This is a stretch for me because I had never been exposed from first-hand accounts of the turmoils of recent times in Germany. I have read stories in books and have seen documentaries, but I never had a first-hand account of what happened to what led up to the Berlin wall coming down. My husband had told me stories about his grandfather being an SS Soldier during World War II and how during that period his mother and grandmother had to flee their home once the Russians invaded their town. Even though my husband’s family history accounts are interesting, clearly I was not alive when those events took place. By hearing Sally’s account I was able to identify with her in the sense that these events happened during my existence on earth. In saying this, I think this would be a good multicultural experience for me because I was only exposed to an ideal of what Germany is like vicariously through my husband and my travels to Germany with the military. I was never afforded the