An Analysis of Contemporary German Cinema

Below is the film brochure I had to complete for my World Cinemas: Europe assessment under the Film Studies and Film Production course. I was tasked to analyse 3 specific films through their context and filmmaking styles. I was awarded 60/100 for this essay.

Contemporary German Cinema is a wave of cinema that is built on the events of the past of Germany, mainly focusing on the building of the Berlin Wall. The wall was built on 13th August 1961, causing the country to be separated between the East and West, divided into the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. The biggest point of the cinema was however created by the fall of the wall on 9th November 1989, which lead to the reunification between people on both sides, reuniting families and friends that were once separated. The New German Cinema was mostly common made in the West, dealing with how the fall of the wall affected people. The films under this cinema focused on what life was like now that both sides were joined together, focusing on the positive and negative effects it led, being described as, ‘a time in which a new society was born.’ (2009:293) [i] The fall of the wall still left problems for people, there was a massive sense of culture clash and ideological differences between reunited families.

The post wall cinema would also commonly deal with the legacy of the German Democratic Republic, the division between citizens was a common staple in the narratives. People were still identified as East or West Germans at this time, as people were not trusting of each other. The narratives also made use of the divide in the country that was created by the past of Nazi Germany, the films would deal with the fallout and responsibility felt by the people at the time. Filmmakers would confront the countries’ past, using the Nazi history to take responsibility for what happened, making connections to this past but disconnecting from any connection now. The films of the time would commonly focus on mistrust created by the events of the past, focusing commonly on Nazi Germany and the divide created by the wall.

This brochure will focus on how the three films, Run Lola Run, Goodbye Lenin and Downfall all fit into the features of the cinema. It will heavily focus on how each of the films fit into the themes of the cinema, and how their narratives deal with the effects of the fall of the wall and the Nazi regime’s history.

Run, Lola, Run (1998)

Run, Lola, Run is a film that is thematically based around the fall of the Berlin Wall and how life is like once people have come back together, a common theming in the New German Cinema. The film follows the journey of the main character, Lola, as she runs from East to West Germany to meet her boyfriend, Manni. These two characters are used to symbolise the reunification of families and friends after the fall of the wall, the two of them are divided on opposite sides of the country but are also now being reunited because of Lola’s journey. The Oberbaumbrucke bridge stands as a wall blocking her journey, its used as a clear stand in for the Berlin Wall in this narrative. Alongside this, her progress is hindered by broken glass in the street, almost like how the rubble of the wall hindered the connection between people in the past. Reunification is shown to be a positive thing in this narrative, the falling of the wall allows separated areas and people to come back together. It allows people to become reunited, bringing together people like Manni and Lola, a very positive message for such an uncertain time period.

Goodbye Lenin (2003)

Goodbye Lenin conveys the divide between the East and West after the fall of the wall, with the film clearly seeking, ‘extreme historical authenticity as the form to tell that very story.’ (2013:133)[ii] This is shown through the divide between the main character, Alex, and his father which happened because of the wall’s construction, the film follows the common subjects that form post wall narratives, clearly showing that reunification will not stop the divisions caused by the wall. The film shows that reunification is not easy, there will always be a clear culture clash, with a sense of alienation because of the wall. A wall is shown blocking Alex and his father at times, suggesting that even though they are back together, they are still blocked off from one another. This is heightened because of their body language, their arms are crossed and there is a clear gap between them, suggesting that reunification is not an instant fix of the divide created. Alex states that he is from a different country as well, suggesting that there is a clear culture clash on either side of the wall.

Downfall (2004)

Downfall is a film that follows another common element of New German Cinema, with it showcasing people criticising the Nazi history, with the film showing how the Nazi Party manipulated their followers. The directors of the cinema wave wanted to examine the legacy of the country, representing how people regret this past but do not see a connection to it. Downfall uses various interviews of people related to Hitler to tell its narrative, with them stating how responsible they feel. The interviewees show how there is a sense of regret for what happened in the past, clearly stating on how responsible they feel. The film itself also strives to create an accurate depiction of the time period, striving to avoid stereotypes of how Hitler was believed to be, trying to create a contrast between the negative and positive aspects of him. The film acknowledges how people were so enamoured with Hitler, showing the positive sides of his personality so contrasts can be made with his dictator persona later. The film shows the filmmaker criticising the countries’ past, common throughout the cinema through, ‘the occasion for historicising the obsession.’ (1999: 17)[iii]

Bibliography: [i] Herbert Baer (2009) Dismantling the dream factory: gender, German cinema and the post-war quest for a new film language, 293-318 [ii] Mattias Frey (2013) Postwall German Cinema: History, Film History and Cinephilia, 133-206 [iii] John E. Davidson (1999) Deterritorializing the New German Cinema, 17-203 Filmography: Run Lola Run (1998, directed by Tom Tykwer) Downfall (2004, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel) Goodbye Lenin (2003, directed by Wolfgang Becker)