Our tastes for the cinema of pre-1989 East Germany may have been roughened by spy/action fare. This movie delivers almost the direct opposite of those expectations: subtle, detailed and slow-burning, it burns nonetheless. In its own way, it's a high-tension suspense thriller, with a rich moral sense of life and its actualities under continuous clumsy, bureaucratic surveillance and the threat of state violence.
Understated period drama with very composed cinematography? And in German? Sign me up. Oh, there’s more with the director and lead actor? Ausgezeichnet!
I enjoyed how sparse this was, and how that helped to focus on the tension, simmering beneath the surface, lurking behind every corner. The character of Barbara and her actions and choices are at the forefront, and it’s moving to see where things land as you discover her backstory.
Add your comment
Comments 1 - 6 of 6
Neville
Our tastes for the cinema of pre-1989 East Germany may have been roughened by spy/action fare. This movie delivers almost the direct opposite of those expectations: subtle, detailed and slow-burning, it burns nonetheless. In its own way, it's a high-tension suspense thriller, with a rich moral sense of life and its actualities under continuous clumsy, bureaucratic surveillance and the threat of state violence.jlfitz
KanopyAndrewski
Understated period drama with very composed cinematography? And in German? Sign me up. Oh, there’s more with the director and lead actor? Ausgezeichnet!I enjoyed how sparse this was, and how that helped to focus on the tension, simmering beneath the surface, lurking behind every corner. The character of Barbara and her actions and choices are at the forefront, and it’s moving to see where things land as you discover her backstory.
neocowboy
Sadly a little too predictable to be rewarding.Bolero Tenebris
Boy... was this boring.Edit: wow, already one downvote...
Film felt 5 hours long - eat that, anonymous downvoters.
guidecarvalho
Interesting, but not reliable.