“Goodbye Lenin” is an appropriate title for this 2004 German film. It takes place in eastern Berlin during the historical watershed of 1989, focusing on events in the life of Alexander Kerner (Daniel Bruhl). Alex’s father left the family to go to the west side of the Berlin Wall when Alex and his sister Ariane (Maria Simon) were young, and Alex has taken it upon himself to care for his mother’s emotional well-being. His mother, Christiane (Kathrin Sass), has devoted herself to the socialist cause to cover up the pain of her husband’s departure.

Fast-forward to 1989, the year the wall separating East Berlin from West Berlin comes crashing to the ground, allowing the East Germans to see the economic and social disparity between the two sides. Alex attends a rally that aims to bring the wall down. He sees his mother collapse on the street after she witnesses his arrest. She lapses into an eight-month coma following her heart attack, and Alex falls in love with her nurse, Lara (Chulpan Khamatova).

By the time Christiane recovers, the wall has fallen, East German Marks are worthless currency, cosmonaut Sigmund Jahn (Stefan Walz) has become a taxi-driver and Ariane has found a job at Burger King and a boyfriend.

The doctors tell Alex and Ariane their mother’s health is unstable and warn them not to upset or excite her. Alex, determined to protect his mother, attempts to recreate the old East Germany for her in the isolation of her bedroom. Alex buys old clothes and memorabilia, pays schoolchildren to sing socialist songs for her and even convinces his co-worker to produce fake newscasts to show her.

The depth of these measures concern both Lara and Ariane, who are unable to persuade Alex to reveal the truth. In the end, Alex sees how much his actions resemble those of his mother.

“Goodbye Lenin” provides an interesting and unique perspective on the historical events in Europe following the collapse of the single-party Communist system. The poignancy of family struggles and romantic tensions effectively drive the plot, and the actors superbly portray deeply-faceted characters. The schemes Alex cooks up to hide the truth from his mother are a potent blend of comedy and satire.

The film is not without a few drawbacks. The German language throughout the film can be a bit distracting for those who have trouble following the English subtitles. Another related downfall is the way the film fails to explain some of the lesser historical aspects.

It works on the assumption that the audience is familiar with the region’s politics, which becomes a problem for younger audiences.

While “Goodbye Lenin” draws out the end a little more than was necessary, the film is worth seeing. The great points of the familial tension and social commentary more than make up for the drawbacks.

Sara Krans is a senior broadcast journalism major and a
columnist for The Spectator.