Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

Overview
User Rating:
7.8/10 27,907 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Wolfgang Becker
Writers:
Wolfgang Becker (co-author) and
Bernd Lichtenberg (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Goodbye Lenin! on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 February 2003 (Germany) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
Tagline:
Die DDR lebt weiter -- auf 79 qm! more
Plot:
In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma; a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Germany | Coma | East Germany | 1990s | Heart Attack
more
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 31 wins & 14 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
London Film Critics Snub 'Rings'
(From Studio Briefing. 13 February 2004)
Film Sweeps Germany's Oscars
(From Studio Briefing. 13 June 2003)
User Comments:
Hello, Masterpiece! more
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)
Daniel Brühl ... Alexander 'Alex' Kerner
Katrin Saß ... Christiane Kerner (as Kathrin Sass)
Chulpan Khamatova ... Lara
Maria Simon ... Ariane Kerner

Florian Lukas ... Denis

Alexander Beyer ... Rainer
Burghart Klaußner ... Robert Kerner
Michael Gwisdek ... Klapprath
Christine Schorn ... Frau Schäfer
Jürgen Holtz ... Herr Ganske
Jochen Stern ... Herr Mehlert
Stefan Walz ... Sigmund Jähn
Eberhard Kirchberg ... Dr. Wagner
Hans-Uwe Bauer ... Dr. Mewes
Nico Ledermueller ... Alex - 11 Jahre (as Nico Ledermüller)
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Additional Details
Also Known As:
79 qm DDR (Germany) (working title)
Goodbye Lenin! (International: English title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for brief language and sexuality.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
121 min | Argentina:112 min
Country:
Germany
Language:
German
Color:
Black and White (archive footage) | Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
Iceland:L | Ireland:15 (IFCO) | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Canada:G (Québec) | Chile:TE | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Peru:PT | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Portugal:M/12
Filming Locations:
Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany more
Company:
X-Filme Creative Pool more
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
All letters in the movie were written by a young woman from Cologne who did practical training with the film crew. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: In the scene where Alex and Denis are repairing a satellite receiver, Alex tells Denis about his mother wanting to watch TV. Denis quotes the Apollo 13 mission by saying "Houston, we have a problem." However, this is a famous misquote which did not surface until 1995 when the film 'Apollo 13' was released. Denis should have said "Houston, we've had a problem". more
Quotes:
Ariane Kerner: You were in a coma. Eight months ago.
Christiane Kerner: Eight months? What happened?
Ariane Kerner: Yeah, it was...
Alexander Kerner: It was in October, in the supermarket. There was this enormous queue and it was really hot and you just passed out.
Christiane Kerner: In October?
Alexander Kerner: It was a really hot October. At the time.
more
Movie Connections:
References Eyes Wide Shut (1999) more
Soundtrack:
Comptine d'Un Autre Été: L'après Midi more
FAQ
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User Comments
(Comment on this title)
97 out of 108 people found the following comment useful:-
Hello, Masterpiece!, 19 April 2004
10/10
Author: Matt Huls (cowman777@hotmail.com) from Westland, MI, USA

The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a historically significant event not just for the people of Germany, but also for much of the rest of the world. Aside from reuniting two vastly different political systems, this remarkable incident marked a turning point for the capitalist uprising occurring within many of the other socialist states. Filmmakers worldwide have since explored the causes and effects of the German Reunification, and even today, they continue to bring new insight and a fresh perspective to an event that occurred nearly fifteen years ago. Wolfgang Becker's GOOD BYE, LENIN! is among the most recent of such films, and probably among the best of them as well.

Rather than charging head-on at a specific political standing, GOOD BYE, LENIN! uses carefully controlled satire to poke fun at the absurdities of both communist and capitalist societies. And despite criticism from gung-ho supporters of either system, Becker is careful not to take sides or appear sympathetic toward any political institution. Instead of concentrating exclusively on the governmental changes of the newly reunified Germany, he wisely opts to narrow his focus on the effects that these changes have on one particular Berlin family. By doing this, Becker is able to show the challenges of adapting to a new, unfamiliar way of life in a context that is much more personal and easier for the viewer to identify with.

The humor in GOOD BYE, LENIN! is plentiful, and Becker takes advantage of every possible opportunity to fit in a comedic moment. Even during the most somber parts of the story, the film never lets go of its astute sense of humor; and because the humor is always thought-provoking and cleverly executed, it never feels forced or gratuitous. The running joke about Alex's unremitting quest for Spreewald pickle jars and the scene where Alex's bedridden mother is perplexed by the Coca-Cola banner hanging from the building across from hers' are brilliant examples of the movie's sharp, yet sensitive wit. Aside from just being funny in themselves, these bits work doubly well because of their uses of symbolism and metaphor. The Spreewald pickles, now impossible to find because of the fall of the GDR, are representative of the `good old days' when Alex was familiar with the ways of his country and when his mother was in good health. His almost frantic search for them shows his longing to return to the way things used to be. Likewise, the unfurling of the Coca-Cola banner is the perfect embodiment of all the capitalist changes occurring within the new Germany. Once you begin to see the Coca-Cola and Burger King logos, you know that capitalism has truly grabbed hold and that there is now no escaping its embrace, for better or for worse.

GOOD BYE, LENIN! makes great use of this type of imagery to emphasize the country's transformation and to provide insight to the emotions of the main characters. A most notable instance of this is the scene where Alex's mother, a staunch supporter of socialism, finally leaves her home to a very different East Germany than the one she remembered. She then looks to the sky and sees a helicopter airlifting a statue of Lenin off the top of a building. As Lenin is being hauled away, his outstretched arm seems to be reaching out to her, as if he's calling out for her to rescue him and his ideals, and restore her beloved country.

Alex's complex lies and meticulous attempts at preserving the past for his mother are innocent enough at first, but eventually they begin to take on a life of their own. The lengths he goes through to maintain the atmosphere of a bygone era and keep his mother happy are indeed funny, but they are also very tragic as well. Though the lies do work temporarily to keep his mother oblivious to the events outside of her apartment, they also plunge Alex and his family into such a deep pool of deception that they eventually lose their closeness with one another. The stress of keeping up the façade becomes unbearable for Alex, and at one point he even wishes his mother were dead.

Other humor was purely cultural, and probably only appreciable by people who have actually experienced the Reunification. I noticed this only because of the native German family sitting in front of me at the theater, laughing in unison at dialogue and images that didn't look to me like they were meant to be interpreted as humorous. But still, even though the older generations of German people are likely to get more out of this movie, it is still a hilarious, heartfelt, and incredibly rewarding experience for people of all cultures and ethnicities.