Customer Reviews

Woman in Berlin

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"A Woman in Berlin" recounts the experiences of a German woman (Nina Hoss) during 8 weeks of the Battle of Berlin, April to June 1945, as the Soviet Union's Red Army overran parts of the city, and German civilians struggled to find food and shelter from mortars and snipers, as well as from the invading soldiers. After she and the women of her neighborhood are raped and beaten repeatedly by Red Army soldiers, she determines to get as much control of her desperate circumstances as possible. She seeks out an officer of the Red Army to whom she offers herself in exchange for his protection. Rebuffed at first by Major Andrei Rybkin (Yevgeni Sidikhin), the two develop a fond relationship of mutual escapism from the horrors around them.

The protagonist is nameless. Until recently, she was known only as "Anonyma", the name under which she published her memoirs in Germany in 1959. They were not well-received. The author was accused of shaming German women with her descriptions of prostitution for protection. The memoirs were not published again until 2003, when "A Woman in Berlin" became a bestseller in Germany, and its author's identity was revealed as Marta Hillers. Hillers was a journalist and minor Nazi propagandist who spoke German, Russian, and French. There is reportedly some material in the book that was not in her diaries from 1945, so it may have been embellished for publication, though the circumstances are similar to many other accounts of civilian experiences in parts of the city controlled by the Red Army during the Battle of Berlin.

There are nasty scenes of battle, as remnants of the German Army try to defend the city against an angry and marauding Red Army, with civilians caught in the crossfire. The Battle of Berlin created one of the most hellish environments in modern times. It has been the setting of a couple of very good films in recent years, perhaps because the devastation was rendered so visually. It is almost as if nothing need be said, making it ideal for the medium of film. "A Woman in Berlin" doesn't actually have a lot of dialogue. It's quiet. The expressions on people's faces match the city in ruins around them. It is unsentimental. Anonyma and Andrei are not heroic, perhaps not even respectable. They are just people trying to make the best of horrible circumstances. In German and Russian with English subtitles that cannot be turned off. The Strand Releasing 2009 DVD includes a theatrical trailer.

I saw this film with a holocaust survivor whose camp was liberated by Soviet Red Army soldiers reeking of Vodka. He was blown away by the realism of the film, as was I. The woman protagonist lives through the invasion of the Red Army soldiers in Berlin at the close of WWII and the occupation after the fall of the city.

The situation of women in war becomes all too clear as the description of Berlin as one big whorehouse is mentioned more than once. Women of all ages are forced to submit to rape over and over again. (My holocaust-survivor friend said Soviet soldiers even raped women they liberated in the concentration camps!)

Our anonymous protagonist, who has the advantage of being able to speak Russian, decides she will find the Commander of the troops and submit only to him, and thereby get protection. Not only does she survive the invasion, but she even finds her heart responding to the man who protects her.

A fascinating contrast is revealed in the attitude of Berlin Germans toward Russians (Germans, proud of their culture, considered the Russians barbarians and animals) to the described actions of German soldiers, who, when in Russia, picked up children by their feet and killed them by bashing their heads into walls. Also contrast that to Russian soldiers who, although they drunkenly raped women indiscriminately, did not target children for killing and exhibited a desire to be home with their families. I sensed the beginning of post-war German guilt in our protagonist when a Russian soldier describes the German soldiers' murder of children.

One is left with both the horror of war, especially as it affects women, and the stunning will to survive whatever happens and, curiously, the way human connections can interject themselves in the midst of war.

Extremely moving film based on a memoir entitled "Anonyma" that was first published in 1959. Because the book was considered an affront to the honor of German women at the time, it was met with outrage and condemnation, and the author reacted by banning new editions for as long as she lived, her name not to be revealed even after her death. In some respect, the protagonist in this movie reminds this reviewer of Wolfgang Samuel's mother in "German Boy: A Child in War" (see my review), another memoir recounting events of the same era, although the periodic prostitution Samuel eventually acknowledged his mother had committed in order to survive the ravages of the second world war is significantly overshadowed here. Rather than isolated stints, the woman in this account develops an ongoing relationship with a Major in the Russian army in order to protect herself from the wholesale rape inflicted by hoards of Russian soldiers taking advantage of a defenseless German civilian population void of the many men who were sent to Russian slave labor camps. Hearing the frequent, gleeful statements of Russian soldiers that Germany is now simply a "whorehouse" now that "old Germany is finished" and that there are no men to protect the women, along with the scenes of rape reminiscent of "A Terrible Revenge: The Ethnic Cleansing of the East European Germans" (see my review), was depressing for this reviewer, resulting in not viewing this film in its entirety in one sitting. While troubling for most who view this film, the memories shared by immediate Donauschwaben (Danube Swabian) family members who over the years have shared their concentration camp experiences following the Russian invasion of Yugoslavia magnified these aspects for this reviewer. While "Saving Private Ryan" contained scenes that were until now among the most realistic portrayals of war this reviewer had ever seen in a film, "A Woman in Berlin" depicts elements that can be so much more difficult to reenact than violence between enemy combatants, and the acting and directing here are absolutely superb.

This is a drama of Berlin as it was invaded by the Red Army in the spring of 1945. After 5 years of brutal war during which massive atrocities had been committed against Russian populations, the Russians were in a position to take revenge. This was significantly acted out through mass rape of German women, including young girls and the elderly. Very few Berlin women escaped multiple episodes of rape. Rape as a weapon of war or mark of conquest had been an accepted part of Asian culture for milennia, and many of the Russian soldiers were from rough peasant backgrounds. Their officers saw no reason to restrain them. Added to this was resentment of the sense of cultural superiority the Germans believed they held over the 'barbaric' Russians, and Russian anger and jealousy at the relative household wealth they observed in Berlin. It all added up to a horrific mix of rage and "to the victors go the spoils."

Against this intense background, the movie is well produced, with solid acting, excellent cinematography, and convincing scenery of a city in ruins. The Russian soldiers are particuarly well pictured, with realistic personalities and songs. The directors also did a careful job in the delicate matter of rendering the rapes, showing just enough brutality to convey the fear and violence, but not so much dwelling on the detail as to eroticize. The filmakers did pull certain punches, such as playing down the rapes of young girls - which in actuality were well documented. To lighten this darkness, there are even fleeting moments of humor such as the post-rape comparing of notes of the German women, and one old widow who seemed almost to appreciate the reawakening of her sex life, including the compliment she received from a soldier - that "she was so much smaller than Ukrainian women."

Just as interesting as the movie was its reception by the German public. The story is based on the wartime diary of an anonymous Berlin woman, first published in Germany in the late 1950's. The intial public reaction in Germany to the book was negative, as it related the dishonor of the women and in many cases their acceptance of the need to sell themselves. As a result no second edition was published until 2003, when emotions had died down and the German public was more ready to come to terms with the horrors of WWII. By the time this film was released in 2008, it was accepted by the German public as a valid documentation of history.

An important, courageous, well constructed film.

PS: The book is even better; http://www.amazon.com/review/R2ON8OVLR3676Q/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

I don't like this movie. It deserves 5 stars for superb acting, an horrific and heartwrenching story based on the true accounts, grim sets and photography, and a pervading mood of despair.

A German journalist, Nina Hoss as the dark eyed, beat-up, unintentional siren, stays behind in Berlin to document the invasion by the Russians(Soviets). Soon, she finds herself caught up in the rape and destruction of the city, and it's helpless civilians. After repeated attacks against herself, in desperation, she seeks out a protector, and finds a mysterious Russian officer(Evgeny Sidikhin)with a haunted past. Interested in her but somewhat reluctantly, he agrees, and what follows becomes a tale of relationships and common ground amidst hell on earth.

Without wanting to justify them, the writers, to a degree, show both sides of the conflict. The Russians, in general, long for their families, hate the war which dragged them in there, and relate awful memories of the atrocities that the Germans laid on their homeland. Paying evil for evil does not make right their actions in any way, but I suppose it brings a sort of balance and understanding to the story.

Thankfully, the assaults are shown non-gratuitously, and there is a scene of nudity to make a point, but that's about it for graphic filming. But one gets the message. The whole film is depressing. I think the only sense of hope provided comes from the heroine's desire to survive, to keep her sanity and a sense of decency no matter what.

The written epilogue is almost as disturbing. Societies' answer is to hide away it's past instead of dealing with it. A tough film. I won't watch it again.

ANONYMA - EINE FRAU IN BERLIN (A Woman In Berlin) is the painfully sensitive title of this exquisite film from writer/director Max Färberböck based on a once occult book by 'Anonyma' that has become a recent bestseller in Germany. It has the courage to tell the story of what it was like in Berlin as World War II was ending - the time of the Russian siege of the city just before and just after Hitler committed suicide, ending the horror of the Nazi regime. While many films have been made about the German populace and how they coped with the fall of their 'great Third Reich' country that was to rule the planet, few have been able to allow the audience to understand the brutalities of war on the people of Germany in so direct a fashion. It is a film that will haunt the viewer for a long time, a film that will restore some dignity to the German people who lived through it, not being part of Hitler's madness but being trapped in the ugliness that followed his fall.

Anonyma (Nina Hoss) is a journalist, a pretty woman living in the cellars and other hiding places while the Russians took over Berlin. She helps her fellow survivors of the bombing of Berlin, struggling for food and protection. The Russian soldiers, still angry with the gnawing hatred for the Germans from the Siege of Leningrad and the loathing of anything that exists in Hitler's Berlin, drink heavily and seek out the women from hiding to satisfy their insatiable lust. 'Berlin is a German whorehouse' and all women, from children to youngsters to elderly fraus are continually raped and beaten as part of the victors' rage. Anonyma speaks several languages including Russian and decides her only hope for survival is to align with the Commander of the troops, Major Andreij Rybkin (Yevgeni Sidikhin), believing that if she becomes his concubine she will be safe from the random raping by the rest of the soldiers. Their liaisons become more than outlets for the Major and the two gradually bond despite the horrors outside their rendezvous. They survive. Hitler commits suicide and the war is over and the two face the reality of returning to their previous pre-war lives...or can they?

Nina Hoss is brilliant in this difficult role and though the script allows her little to say, she conveys so much through her expressions that words are nearly unnecessary. Likewise, Yevgeni Sidikhin captures the dichotomy of emotional response his character must display, finding just the right balance between the conquering Russian soldier and the compassionate and vulnerable lover. The cinematography by Benedict Neuenfels captures the devastation not only of the buildings but also of the emotions of both sides of the participating groups and Zbigniew Preisner is responsible for the musical score that adds immeasurably to the drama. This is one of the great German films that took many years of maturing to make. It should be seen. Grady Harp, January 10

This movie was great! From start to finish, I couldn't even take a break from it. For anyone that is a war or foreign film buff, I highly recommend this movie. It paints a clear picture of what German women went through during the Russian occupation of Berlin. It made me wonder how the men/husbands dealt with situation inside their minds/soul. I'm glad the author refused to change anything to appease others upon its release. It's honest, real and tragic. It reveals what the women left behind during the war had to endure.

Having had relatives in Potsdam when Berlin fell, I had read the book this movie is based on many years ago. Bought the movie and have watched it several times - it is very much like what I've heard all my life and it is superbly made. The acting is fantastic, the sets are great, and everything is spot-on historically accurate down to the smallest details.

If anything, the movie actually downplays the brutality of the Russians in Berlin in the last days of the war and shortly after the surrender. Russians may cry "foul" that this movie makes them look bad, but quite honestly, they get off very light in this film despite its harsh subject matter and sometimes graphic scenes. On that note, there are not all that many really "graphic" scenes in the movie, actually it's done quite tastefully and most of the rapes or other crimes are not shown, but you see the after effects of them, the affect on the women involved, and you get to see the hopelessness in the lives of the everyday Berliners as they're trapped in the city. My relatives described MANY far worse scenes than are shown or depicted in this movie.

I highly recommend this one and am actually quite surprised this movie was made. This one belongs in every serious WWII history fanatics video library.

I was not able to find this movie at any of the video rental stores so I was anxious to see how this subject would be presented. This subject was mentioned in a book by Cornelious Ryan called "The Last Battle" where Ryan mentioned that the Russians raped thousands of German women during the Battle for Berlin. The Russians felt this was revenge of all the terrible things the Nazis did in the Soviet Union. I noticed that a couple of people also were in another movie by the same producer called "Downfall" so you can tell the set and story line was done with the same amount of attention to detail. It starts out great with the German civilians hiding in the basements and cellars of the building hoping that they will not be harmed. But, in the end, the Russians storm the buildings and start picking out women who are raped (not too graphic scenes but you get the idea). I like the scene where the German commander is forced to talk on the loud speaker that Hitler is dead and for the German civilians or soldiers to cease fighting. The Russians break out with a large cheer and start sing the Russian national song. The noise can be heard inside the buildings where the Germans are hiding in shame for losing the war. In the second half of the movie, it starts to slow down after the German woman learns her Russian Major is being transferred and her husband returns to find out that she is now a collabrator with the Red Army. I totally suggest this movie as it is the only movie I have seen that addresses this topic. I give it a strong 4-star rating.

Usually it's the case that the books are better the movie itself and this movie is no exception. In the book you get details and nuances to such an extent that you actually feel like you are there in that time period. Here, in the movie, you just don't get that feeling.
The movie I'd say only follows about 50% of the book, and I'm guessing the director tried to compensate for the lack of narrative with meaningless violence and partying.
You don't get to see the protagonists or the enemies as three dimension characters so much in the film as you do in the film. In the book, you meet Russians of all sorts - some good, and others just brutish.
In this sense, this movie feel like a lot of other films that were made of this period in the late 20th and early 21st century. It seems to be made more for the masses than an account or a diary. And yes, I understand that people who rate this highly are the sort of people who are interested in viewing this sort of thing and it is politically easy to give this sort of film higher ratings because the subject matter does put to light a social concern of society.
There are much better films made for this period - some popularly known while others not so well know (like Europa Europa and Sunshine (1999)). Even some documentary films are better than this in my opinion. Overall I was quite bored with the movie. The book I could not keep down.