User reviews

I have seen so many films about drug addiction, and not one of them can equal the sheer power of this one. The life of this 14 year old West Berlin junkie is crafted with an astounding level of realism. Her downward spiral into heroin addiction and prostitution is captured by Ulrich Edel, who holds nothing back in his depiction. We see through Christiane's eyes, every filthy toilet, every creepy, slimy john whom she must trick with for drug money, every moment of terror and desperation. At this age, everything is felt so intensely. Christiane, a young teenager from a "hell on Earth" place called Gropistadt, a truly dark and bleak part of Neukoln, West Berlin. A place where there is absolutely nothing for a teenager to do. She discovers a place called "The Sound", a cavernous disco located near the posh and touristy "Kurfuerstendamm". "The Sound" is a seedy teen hangout, infested with drugs, and with dealers only too happy to feed Valium and heroin to kids eager to escape their dreary reality and to have fun. Here is where Christiane meets Detlef, a boy her age. Detlef starts using heroin soon after they meet, and Christiane, scared of losing him to the drug, begins using also. It is especially important to notice that the film doesn't glamorize heroin. As soon as the hard drug use begins, the mood of the film changes instantly. The wonderful music of David Bowie whom Christiane worships is heard frequently throughout the first section of the film. After her and her friends become junkies, the Bowie music disappears, which is very symbolic, i think. Thankfully director Edel didn't make the mistake that so many American directors make when filming stories about teens: The actors here are genuine teenagers, around 14/15 years old. This makes the film so much more powerful and shocking, and much more believable. The effects of heroin on these kids is staggering to behold; they turn into these sickly shadows of their former selves, like zombies, in search of their next fix. And strangely, Christiane and her friends never seem to enjoy the high from the heroin. You will never see such a bleak vision of kids lost in a surreal hell of drug addiction. And to add further to the intensity, the film is long, 138 minutes uncut, becoming steadily darker and seedier by the minute, until the viewer wonders just how long can this young girl go on like this without completely self-destructing. And amazingly, throughout the running time, the film never preaches, not for a moment. And it never becomes sentimental, as most American drug films often do. The film style is specifically German. I doubt that any American director could have created such a dark and gritty film about people so young. "Christiane F: Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" remains one of the most well-known and admired films to ever come out of Germany.

"Christiane F." is a bleak, harrowing look at drug abuse among Berlin youth in the 1970s.

It is perhaps the grittiest look at addiction I've ever seen on film.

The only problem is that you never really get close to the characters. You get close to what they do - and what the people around them do - but you never feel like you know the main character that well.

Part of the power of the movie comes from the casting of an actress who looks every bit as young as the character she's playing. You see her come precariously close to danger so many times, but the movie would be much more gripping if we were able to get closer to her.

The movie has many nauseating scenes of drug use and the sickness that results from it. I couldn't help thinking that this would be a good movie to show to kids to turn them off drugs. I actually felt physically ill while watching parts of it.

For a long time I had misgivings about this film. I thought that it would be like so many others, where a teenager enters in the world of drugs, lives through hell and, in the end, returns safely to the womb of family and society - in-between we are treated with edifying speeches delivered by mothers and/or fathers, with rights to tears and lots of sentimentality.

This is not the case of "Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo". The film is direct and honest and shows the events as viewed by the children from Bahnhof Zoo. The film tries to show things as they are and be objective. No moralist speeches are given. That's why the film has such power. The first film scenes show Berlin in the night. The main attraction for Christiane and friends is the discotheque Sound. It all begins there.

There are many night scenes in the film. The days look dark and gloomy. In the beginning their meeting place is Sound, but as the road becomes narrower, there remains only one place for them: The Bahnhof Zoo. Days and nights seem to merge more and more. And the day resembles more and more the night. A long night, a short step can lead to eternal night.

This stuff almost begs to be treated in a sensationalistic way. But "Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" is a serious film. It deserves to be seen.

I've seen many films portraying drug addiction but none with such terrifying authenitcity as this film. It's funny. I haven't really thought about this film in years and what made me suddenly think of it now was I was thinking about movies on my DVD wish list. CHRISTIANE F was on that list. So for s***s and giggles I ran a routine search in the Internet Movie Database (this site is GOD!!!) and low and behold, it was out!!! Naturally, I placed my order for it. As much as I wished it was the subtitled version (which is only available in PAL), I have the German version as well as the dubbed so that's not that bad. To those who have seen REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and thought that it was the most disturbing film they've seen about drug addiction, I have news for ya: you haven't seen anything yet! CHRISTIANE F., makes REQUIEM look like a Disney film in comparison. Although the English dubbing is really cheesy and bad, still it doesn't detract from Ulrich Edel's images of the dark, seedy, and depressing world of heroin addicts.

Subtitled, "Image of a Generation", CHRISTIANE F is the true story of a lonely, bored teenager in the '70's who gets into the drug scene at 12, hooked on heroin at 13 and becomes a prostitute at 14 to support her habit. There are a couple of things about this that struck me. First, was that Edel used all unknowns for the main parts, especially the kids. They acted so naturally, that even Edel makes the comment that "it's a wonder they haven't been actors or junkies their whole lives." Also the kids who played the main characters, were as close to the age as the real people they were portraying. Nadja Brunckhorst, who plays Christiane, was fourteen at the time and does a remarkable job. In fact, this movie pretty much made her a star in Germany and to this day has had a prolific acting career, mainly on German TV as well as some film work. The second was the use of David Bowie's music in the soundtrack. Now, I'm biased. I'm a huge fan of Bowie but even if I wasn't, his music was used to staggering effect. Truly memorable was the scene toward the end of the film as Bowie's song 'Sense of Doubt' is played in the background as Edel's camera pans across the sad, ghostly faces of people at the subway platform. The music captures the despair of the scene very well, almost too well for comfort. The music serves, as any great film music should, as another character in the film, helping to portray the despair, loneliness, bravado, confusion of adolescence. I feel I can identify with Christiane and her life when I was her age. I was lonely, alienated, and sad. Where as she escaped her pain with drugs, I escaped mine through my writing. I can sympathize completely. You want to fit in with a group so badly that you'll do things that you know you shouldn't just to "be cool". Well, I really wish more teenagers would be shown this film. Would it change a life? Maybe. I do know one thing for me: after reading her book, from which this film is based, I've found a kindred soul. From what I know, she is clean and has been since the film's original release. I hope she continues to have the strength to remain so. Because once a junkie, always a junkie. "We can be heroes, just for one day."-David Bowie, 'Heroes' This song becomes a very understated theme for this film, a song about hope in a film where there's very little hope to be found.

I have just finished viewing Christiane F. this morning, and I can say that I have been thinking about nothing else for the last 7 hours. This is a very powerful movie that will leave you very sad and depressed about the story of Christiane. I have been on the verge of tears all day thinking about this poor child's life.

As noted in other reviews, this is a very dark film that portrays childhood drug abuse in Berlin in the late 70's. It is not for the faint of heart, as there is death; many needle scenes, vomiting from the characters and prostitution scenes. The story is not happy and it is a downward spiral of one child's sorry life in Berlin. The only happy moment comes in the last 30 seconds of the film, as it is depressing all the way up to the end. But, this is a love story (a dark one) about Christiane and Detlev and their journey through the life of drugs as teenagers in Berlin. Even though the relationship is damned, it is still touching.

Now to the facts, the film boasts some very good teenage actors in a 14-year-old Natja Brunckhorst as Christiane and Thomas Haustein as Detlev. Both portray emotions common to the characters: lack of confidence, desperation, depression and denial very well. Both characters are very believable and you will form an emotional attachment to both. The soundtrack is all David Bowie, which really provides an excellent set of moments with the music. I was very impressed that his music could be placed so well into a movie.

The DVD version comes in the original German language version and a dubbed English version (which I saw). Now, I wish I knew German (or it had subtitles) as I would much rather have heard the original actors voices, than the 20-year-old voice that is dubbing Christiane. Regardless, the movie can still be enjoyed in this format. The DVD also comes with no frills; it's just the movie. I really think a movie of this caliber should have actor interviews, a Christiane biography, or whatever, as this film will leave you wanting more. Hopefully they address this with a future release, as well as English subtitles for the German language version.

This movie I feel is really a lot stronger than some of the other drug movies that I have seen: Drugstore Cowboy, Traffic, etc.. and I would highly recommend it over the others, as it is a very touching story about the dark side of life.

And last show it to your kids to show them the realities of drugs. Kids need to know that they can die form drugs. The only problem I have is this movie is based off of heroin, which is not a popular drug today, so it might not be as believable to teenagers. (EDIT 2017 - well 14 years later heroin is back in popularity, and killing children all over the US. This movie is would be very applicable to teenagers today)

Christiane F - We The Children Of Bahnhof Zoo is a 1981 film directed by Ulrich Edel based on the torrid accounts of a young girl living in West Berlin during the 1970's and her addiction to heroin and subsequent descent into prostitution.

Based on the accounts of her non-fiction book of the same name the film details the period in which she began experimenting with drugs, such as cannabis and L.S.D, to her initial foray into heroin use and ending with her complete abasement.

Shot with a low budget and employing a large number of first time actors, many of whom chose never to further a career in film, as well as a large number of extras sourced by the production team who were in fact real life junkies and down and outs. These factors alone contribute to the films startling sense of realism and authenticity.

Also, many of the films locations such as the club where Christiane hung out and the nefarious "Zoo" station where young addicts would prostitute themselves are the original locations in which the characters experiences are based, adding further to the films genuine portrayal of the seedy drug scene of West Berlin in the 70's.

The cinematography is bleak and unforgiving and brilliantly captures the barbarous nature of the scene and subject matter. Edels sparse and careful approach gives the piece an almost documentary style and no doubt this unflinching depiction, along with the graphic, perfunctory portrayal of teenage drug abuse contributed to its controversy.

Natja Brunckhorst provides the role of Chritiane and turns an astonishing debut as the heart breaking girl whose life debases to unimaginable depths within such a short space of time. Showing many audiences across Europe that the looming Heroin epidemic was not just confined to older people but also its ruthless and savage affects and how immediate its ravages take place.

This film pulls no punches. Its gritty, no nonsense representation of heroin, and its consequences, are shocking and tragic. The director also manages to take these dissolute children and allow us to view them free of judgement and witness first hand the terrible conditions in which some youths find themselves living within the confines of a so called civilised society. Many a question will arise when watching this film; how, why etc. But its principal aim is to simply allow us a front row seat to a window into a world most of us are hitherto unaccustomed - the nefarious, cruel and grievous life of a teenage addict who ambulates the inevitable path toward prostitution and ultimately burnout.

A great film with fantastic performances and above else, a great soundtrack provided by David Bowie. If you thought Trainspotting back in the late 90's was a shocking film about heroin abuse then this piece will hit you hard because despite its cult status this film is as real and as heart breaking as it gets.

If you search for a document telling you the truth about falling into drug addiction in the 70s, this is the right film for you. But this is not a mere documentary; it's got artistic value, as well as great acting by the young and cute Nadja Brunckhorst and Thomas Haupstein. The scene where Christiane, after her first heroin sniffing, gets through a long gallery in a car with her friends is a wonderful metaphore of her first step into addiction. Great locations and a beautiful, functional photography complete this very good film, which represents an isolated case in director Ulrich Edels's career.

If you grew up in Germany during the 1980s, "Christiane F" would seem forever present, no matter where you looked. The film was a mayor hit at the box-office and excerpts from the original novel were made homework in almost all schools. One couldn't open up a boulevard-paper or magazine without coming across horror-stories about yet another youngster that has overdosed in a seedy toilet by the train-station, generally accompanied by a photo of said toilet and corpse (more often than not looking horrible fake). Indeed, most kids that the distinct impression that, should they fall with the wrong crowd and – heaven beware – ever take a drag from a joint, that they would surely join that ever-growing horde of junkies that seemed to take over the subways like an army of the living dead. At least such was the impression.

First of: those drug-hotspots did exist, they do exist and – unless one day some sensible drug-policies are implicated and the politics stop catering to big-business drug-cartels – they will exist forevermore. Go to any major train-station between Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin, and you'll find junkies loitering around. And yes, if you look suitable gullible, you'll likely be approached by an 'ex-junkie, freshly sober and clean' who'll request some financial assistance, that will enable him to 'reach a far-off place, where a job is waiting for him or her'. But what you won't find is this seemingly post-apocalyptic scenario that "Christiane F" has painted, simply because it never existed other than in the media and the minds of the people.

One must give kudos to the film and the director: It shows the effect of heavy drug-addiction as realistic and relentless as "Leaving Las Vegas" shows the effect of alcohol-abuse. The horrors of being a junkie, drifting ever further the social-ladder and the descent into addiction, prostitution and eventually death are indeed harrowing. However, when it comes to the subject of the protagonist and the severity of the general problems, more than just some artistic-liberties have been taken.

Unlike the novel and the interviews with (the real) Christiane F, the film neglects to tell us, that Christiane and her friends already come from a severely disturbed, low-class background. Germanys social-system (or if you want, "caste-system") is very rigid, similar to that in the US. "Can't deny your roots" and if you happen to come from a redneck or white trash background, it is very unlikely that all the money in the world will be able to wash that background off.

The movie would like to make us believe that any 'nice girl from next door' can slide down into the living hell of the junkie-world, but that is only half true. True, anybody can get hooked on drugs, be it nicotine, heroin, coffee or the adrenaline rush received from extreme sports. But to become part of this little world of Christiane F (horrible as it may be), it would require an exposure that literally begins at birth.

So, despite all the truth in "Christiane F", one also has to admit that it is vastly exaggerated and, in the context of media-politics (especially in the West) also very manipulative. Look no further than the current anti-drug campaigns, that assure us that smoking marijuana is the beginning of the end (no, marijuana leads to harder drugs like thinking leads to madness). You will no doubt have read about Crystal-Meth, that currently turns a whole generation into an army of toothless, violent zombies. Or about the drug Krokodil looming on the horizon, a drug 50-times as potent as heroin and making the flesh virtually rot off the user's bones. They do exist, Crystal-Meth and/or Krokodil – but like most illegal things, they are more detrimental to the individual and not the society.

As much as I cherish "Christiane F" as a movie, it's relentless realism, the excellent actors (both the professionals and the laymen) and not being able to deny that it is one of the most accomplished anti-drug-films of all times, I cannot help to think that it's neither an answer to anything, nor at the essence very much more than a parody (albeit a harrowing one) of the drug-culture and the general situation. As such I can give it no more than 6/10.

"Christiane F" is the first film made by German director Ulrich Edel.The movie looks almost like a documentary what makes it even more disturbing.The acting is excellent-Natja Brunckhorst truly shines as a Christiane,who slowly becomes addicted to heroin.The atmosphere is really gritty and dark,and the film pulls no punches with its depiction of Berlin's drug world.So if you liked "Requiem for a Dream" or "Naked Lunch" give this one a look.My rating:10 out of 10.

I read the book first. As mentioned several times below, the film is unable to provide much depth to several key characters (the mother especially), and avoids mention of several, ultimately failed, attempts at rehabilitation. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this film. The acting is quite incredible given that these were basically amateurs. In addition, the use of music, the locations and the special effects (I hope they were special effects!) are all done quite well. I've visited Berlin twice, and the movie excellently captures the flavor of this immense, intimidating city.

While I understand how the time limitations of a movie restrict the depth of the screenplay, I also believe the ending could have been handled better. The recuperation period in the country provides, in the book, a much broader understanding of the power of addiction, and of the mindset that much take root to defeat it. Ten or fifteen additional minutes of screen time could have greatly expanded the film's scope.

Well, let me start of with the fact that the book by the same title helped me a lot. I was not a drug user, nor have I became one ever, simply because of the book. My mom put that book in my hands when I was 12, and just told me: "Read it". She never questioned me anything in the 2 days I was reading, nor she mentioned it.

When I let her know I was done, and wanted to talk about it, she said: "Now you have to see a movie". So there I was, 12 year old who just read something that messed with her head, watching the movie with the exact story. Mom said it was important to actually see it, not only visualize it. After the movie she said: "No matter how many times and how many people tell you drugs are bad - it will not be enough. So I wanted you to see a story of a real person, who went through real problems with drugs. Does this show you that drugs are actually bad?"

Everything I ever wanted to talk to her about, just vanished. Because that movie just sealed the deal. I bought what actors were selling. Only thing on my mind was - if the book showed me with details what can happen, and the movie pictured it for me - how was it to actually battle all those things (addiction, constant thinking about next fix, crises when the drug is leaving your system...) in real life? And luckily, both the book and the movie convinced me never to put it to the test. Not even with pot, cigarettes or alcohol. I've been offered drugs many times by the time I was 20. I never once accepted, no matter how those people described it to me. Because I knew what the reality was and where it was leading to.

So, thanks to my mom, for introducing me this story. Thanks to the actors and directors and writers. Because of all of you, now I'm a 32 year old woman, who can honestly say she never tried any kind of drugs, nor was ever interested to "test the story". Words in a book and acting in movie were proof enough.

And special thanks to Christiane F. Many went through the same thing you did, but were too ashamed and embarrassed to come forward with it. You went through it and you shared your story. And I'm pretty sure you changed a lot of lives over the years. And you will keep doing that. Because, this book and movie are eternal, and will never go "out of style".

Christiane F is powerfully confronting on it's first view. I first saw it, when I was 14. As just seeing it the other day, it is still a powerful engaging film about teenage drug addiction, which the two leads, so convincingly play, there's never a moment you don't believe em', where you forget they're actors. The film was surprisingly made by the same guy who made Body Of Evidence, where a couple of years earlier, he did that powerful and one of a kind art-house film, Last Exit To Brooklyn. Here, we follow Christine's life from 11 upwards, where she's learning quick, trying to escape the tedium of living with just her mother and sister in Berlin. Little Sis splits, leaving the duo, where Christiane and her mother are slowly drifting apart. Mummy has this new boyfriend, which of course like any daughter, disapproves of. The boyfriend gives her a David Bowie record, where she already has that particular album, a point to be made there. After clubbing about with her best friend, she meets her first boyfriend, Detlev, already an addict/and part time hustler, working the train station where perverted older clients with a lot of doe pick em up. Drug taking runs high in this, the first shock scene has a guy who overdoses in a cubicle, which reminded of how frank and shockingly real that scene was. Obviously that nameless guy was a bloody good actor. Also in close up, a little too close, we see as a test of love, Christiane pin pricking here skin, making a tattoo. Soon she graduates to H, and there's a private room, where an H is painted on the door. We follow her descent, and more a need for companionship. One cold turkey scene, ends with her and boyfriend, Detlev vomiting over each other (the things actors have to do). There are people who will misjudge this film as amateur, or a sleazy made for shock value film, but sometimes you have to shock to get a message across. I admit it felt a bit of amateur, but I think I was manipulated over the negative or bad reviews. Yes the movie does have faults, but it's shockingly powerful. But the big flaw, I found in the whole movie, was the scattered structure of story, and it's connected scenes, not making it the easiest film to follow in that respect. It was like we were missing some bits, and other parts of it were moving too quick, or weren't explained enough, where the journey of the story wasn't the clearest, and this is what downgraded it's quality, and with the film being dubbed didn't help. But still it's a powerfully charged movie from 83', a cult hit, you have to experience, with a memorable last scene on an island, where Christine cleans up.

Having read the book twice, it wasn't easy for the movie to get 10 out of 10 points. Of course no movie can be a substitute for a book, so you have to distinguish between them and their functions.

The movie really should discourage everyone from taking drugs and the actors, too, do a great job when giving you an impression how horrid such a life can be.

But there are some definitive lacks the movie has: in the book, relatives and people who were involved in the case "Christiane F" commented on the text and told their point of view (in the current state of the book). Like that, you got a more complete view and there's an even more important fact: The enlightenment work has more effect and more awareness on the reader-side is created.

Another huge lack is: Her childhood and thoughts are completely left out. Like this, the causes for drug addiction are not really traceable. It all seems like "a quest for something new" in her dull life. In her psychological work "Am Anfang war Erziehung" (don't know the English title) Alice Miller describes the quite perfect awareness of Christiane F. and her ability to pronounce her fears and the mechanisms she follows. The plot of the movie makes it sort of one-dimensional.

With this background one might tend to dislike the movie and call it superficial and "just feeding those craving for sensation".

There's another argument corroborating this: The whole process which led her out of the drug scene is left out. There's just a cut and she's at her Grandma's. It's a pity the movie doesn't involve the recipients more in her family life...

In spite of the rather bad plot it's worth 5 out of 10 points.

This powerful and shocking movie is an adaption from the bestselling book based on the true story of Christiane F. Having lived in Berlin until the mid 80's and being the same age as Christiane F. I can only stress the authencity of both book and movie. Berlin was a dark and depressing city at the time, yet a true metropolis with all its problems. You didn't have to be part of the "drug scene" to notice it everywhere in the downtown and surrounding area. Strung out junkies hitting you up for money in subway stations, streetwalkers, prostitutes at the Bahnhof Zoo ... the magazine article, followed by the book and movie just kind of brought it out in the open and documented the problem. The movie is still relevant 20 years later, one just have to put it a bit in perspective.

The soundtrack with David Bowie's music (newly rereleased on CD) is powerful and fits the overall mood perfect. Note: Christiane F. continued to struggle with her drug addiction until 1996 when she had her son. She lives in Berlin.

Christiane F is a visceral and realistic experience that has never been duplicated in the same fashion. I watched it once over a decade ago while in my late teens and it still haunts me. I happened on this page while searching for a DVD so I can introduce my wife to what I feel is one of the greatest movies of all time, especially because it's all based on a true story. The person who put a comment suggesting this movie has no plot is hopeless; sorry there's no Schwarzenegger to wrap things up nicely and put it all into perspective. And that's why David Bowie is a legend, he obviously has vision that the commenter clearly lacks. Brilliant decision to be involved in this; insuring yet another piece of his immortality.

For those who are capable of thought and aren't afraid to be share a powerful descent into dark and dismal depths with the movie's characters, find this and watch it.

In the 70s, David Bowie fan Christiane is a young teen living in a Berlin apartment block with her mother and little sister Sabine. Sabine decides to go live with their father. Christiane follows cool schoolmate Kessi to the disco "Sound" where she finds new friends. They do minor mayhem and drugs. Christiane hates that they do H. Soon she's also doing heroin as she slowly gets drawn into the dark world of drugs and sexual exploitation. She and boyfriend Detlef are forced to do more and more for their next hit.

Natja Brunckhorst was actually 14 filming this movie. Her youth really sells this harrowing story about drug addiction spreading among young people. It may be cheesy but it would be an even bigger shock if the movie starts with her having a childlike birthday party. It would put her age and innocence front and center. This is not a fun romp like Trainspotting. This is a straight forward unflinching look at the damage from drug addiction. All the kids look worse and worse as the movie goes on. It's a little long but it shows the entire long road downwards.

The characters were kids and they don't really have critical thinking fully developed so what is "fun" usually can lead to a downward spiral. She meets her first crush and acts out. I just kept thinking where are the parents, her mom was worried but kind of fades into the backround. The kids were all likable and believable. She found a community, but the community all slowly started dying together.

I have read plenty comments above, and everything that everybody says is true. In reply to somebody who said that they had just watched it, and had been haunted by it for the last 7 hours, I can add, that I read the book, and saw the movie 18 years ago, and I am still haunted by it. The effect that this book and movie had on me, has not waned at all over 18 years. I am still thinking about it, and talking to other people about it. This book ought to be a prescribed book or set work in schools. I am exactly one year older than Christiane, so we were children at the same time. If I compare her life to my tiny little perfect life, devoid of any such threats, living in a beautiful big house, in a beautiful leafy suburb, going to a cozy little girls' school in a perfect little town in a perfect little country, my heart breaks for her, and for growing up in such circumstances.

It would be great if Christiane F would go around and address schools and drug rehabilitation programs personally. Per her website, in April 2008, she is still alive, and is not working in a full time job. I think she can make a great contribution if she would devote her time to prevent other people from falling into the same trap. Pity there didn't appear to be anybody around to prevent her from falling into this horrible trap.

"Christiane F" is for sure one of the most realistic and disturbing films I've ever seen. If you can't stand injections and things like that, please don't watch this film. But if you're strong enough to handle this stuff, it is an interesting film to watch. It shows the life of drugged people, prostitutes and marginals in Berlim, with no disguises. There are some flawless moments, when the story looses itself, but in spite of that there are some symbolic scenes - pay attention at this.

But one warning: don't watch the English-dubbed version. It is really horrible, and the actors look to be acting for a school play.

I gave this film a 7 out of 10 because I watched this version, and I think my vote would be higher (maybe 8) if I had watched the original one.

Based on a non-fiction book by Vera Christiane Felscherinow Christiane F is an example tough, hard hitting, but excellent film about drug addiction that can stand alongside the likes of Trainspotting, Requiem for a Dream and Thirteen.

Christiane (Natja Brunckhorst) is a 13-year-old girl who lives with her mother in a social housing building in West Berlin during the late 70s. Her younger sister moves out and her mother has a new boyfriend. Christiane starts to spend her Saturday evenings in a nightclub called Sound and soon befriends a group of teenagers, including Delef (Thomas Haustein) who becomes her boyfriend. She soon slides into a world of drugs, taking LSD and heroin and becomes a street prostitute when she is 14.

Christiane F. is a tough watch but director Uli Edel injects enough and Brunckhorst's performance makes the film a very compelling watch. Edel shows Berlin to be a very depressing, concert jungle that is decaying and uses dark and gritty cinematography constantly. Edel sets out to show the world as it is and we see the full efforts of heroin use and addiction as the characters physically and socially decay. Edel shows confidence with his staging, using steady camera and continuous takes to show characters, Christiane in the club or going into their drug apartment. There were two moments particularly that reminded me of Requiem for a Dream, one where Christiane is in the back of a car where she tries heroin for the first time and one in Bahnhof Zoo shot in a dream like way as we follow Christiane and has a fantastic deep piano song in the background.

Brunckhorst gave a fantastic, natural performance as we see Christiane becomes dependent on drugs. The whole cast were excellent and it is even more remarkable because many of them were non-actors in very tough roles and Christiane F. is their only acting credit. We see Christiane change physically, both with her dress and hair to losing weight and becomes more pale. There are tough but great sequence when Christiane gets high, shaking and swearing the middle of the night and the tough withdrawn sequence.

Christiane F. also has constant theme of foreshadowing of what could happen to Christiane, seeing how addict and people saying they don't want to do heroin before submitting. There are moments where addicts also try to talk people out of trying drugs in a half-hearted manner and the film aims for realistic behaviour of addicts, which was wonderfully handled.

Christiane F. also has a great soundtrack, both using David Bowie music and the score as already mention.

I have not read the book, so I cannot truly judge it as an adaption, but I would have been interesting to see how Christiane dealt with school as she became more addicted to heroin and looked more at her mother, either noticing or ignoring a change in her behaviour: even if it a quick discussion between the mum and the boyfriend and dismissing it as typical teenage rebellion.

Christiane F. is a very bleak and grim film but it is worth watching. It should be praised for its realism, actors, direction and style.

WARNING!...This is a very, Very, VERY depressing movie!...VERY!... The brutal reality depicted in this 1981, German film is so shockingly graphic at times that it sends the viewer into a state of near numbness due to over-exposure.

"Christiane F" is basically a savage blow-by-blow account of what could easily happen to a naive, 14 year old, German brat who leaves the manicured, middle class comforts of her white, suburban home and decides to trek on down to Berlin (where she thinks the grass is greener).

What is ultimately the most depressing thing about "Christiane F" is the fact that it is based on a true account of one young girl's downward spiral into the arena of hell, via the fast lane.

And, is the movie "Christiane F" an answer to the problem? No, not really. It could never be that. But, perhaps, it may open a few eyes. And, believe me, the more eyes open, the better.

*Special note* - Pop idol - David Bowie makes a cameo appearance in this film and a number of his songs are featured throughout the film's soundtrack.

This film radically captures the rawness of youngsters slipping into drugs, some so young one cannot help but to feel shocked. What is really remarkable about the narrative is that is flows so cohesively, taking its time to coherently develop its plot, which in turn is all about Christiane's spiralling down into substance abuse and how that affects and disrupts her life. The story is painful and disturbing, it is almost weakening to observe wide-eyed how youth culture can be reduced to nothing by means of dangerous substances, sometimes lethal ones like heroine.

I find David Bowie's music fascinating in this film, as it really enhances the experience, taking into account that the real story of how Christiane first became hooked was on one of his concerts in Berlin. The helplessness of some characters is rather tragic, to witness the fact that for some people there's just no going back, brings about devastating sensations.

The acting is phenomenal, which finds its way into concord along with the film's story. Everything seems so real that at times it feels as if it is not a film, but a documentary. It is probably the strongest and most realistic depiction of a drug scene and drug addicts ever put on film. Many elements were purposefully used in order to achieve that level of realism, such as many of the film's locations are the actual locations in real life. Many extras were drug addicts so they knew exactly what they were getting into, and played their parts perfectly.

It's not all about how Christiane and her friends become addicted, it's also about the consequences of their addiction, which proves to be pretty destructive, in fact is one of the most woeful aspects of the film, which is notoriously attached to its impressive authenticity.

A splendid film, one that will stay with you for a long time, a film that makes you think, reflect and question. There's not enough people to whom I would enthusiastically recommend this film, sadly there just isn't. If you like films like Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream, one viewing of Christiane F. will make them look like the Teletubbies in comparison. No offense to those films, which are great though.

I had missed out on this as a kid on Italian TV - but then it's hardly kids' stuff, is it? This is surely the most harrowing depiction of teenage angst - based on a true story of drug abuse and prostitution in late 70s Berlin - ever captured on film; it's certainly a long way from the cool lifestyle seen in the stylized TRAINSPOTTING (1996) - even if, in its case, the people involved were considerably older!

It's extremely well made and acted (by a mostly very young yet fearless cast, and particularly leading lady Natja Brunckhorst) but - understandably, given the subject matter - unremittingly bleak, with appropriately gritty cinematography and gloomy settings. Still, sometimes it's hard to be involved in the kids' plight, so hellbent are they on self-destruction! Powerful, unsentimental and ultra-realistic, the film is set to the exhilarating yet experimental music of David Bowie (aptly restricted to his German phase, in which he created some of his most interesting work); the pop/rock icon and sometime actor, apparently a hero of the German youth of the era, is even featured in concert footage (I was extremely lucky to have seen Bowie, even if from a distance, at London's HMV outlet in Oxford Street during the launching of his album "Heathen" in 2002)!

I'm interested in watching Edel's equally controversial LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN (1989), which had also turned up in the days when I wasn't allowed to sample such adult stuff...

Of course you can't compare movies to books, but I've expected a lot more from this film. All in all it didn't feel very fluent: Slow character development and emotionless acting was my impression. The characters didn't feel very authentic (detlef seemed so forced to play an awkward person in some scenes), maybe because most of the kids weren't actors in the first place. Or the director intended the lack of emotions, fitting bored kids/teenagers, in that case I didn't like it very much.

Besides the slow plot in the film, I think the overall mood was pretty spot on. All of the sets were pretty gloomy and it just gave me such a nasty feeling, looking at spots where all the junkies were consuming heroin (or even prostituting themselves).

I did miss the aspect, that the viewer did not really know the motive behind Christiane. In the book, it is exactly explained, why she ultimately did drugs. There is only a short passage of her youth in the film, which could also have been included (Since the dialogues between characters felt like ages passing, it should have been doable). Edit: It does become better in the second half of the movie.

To sum up: I don't think it is a bad movie, because it is a drama with a very interesting matter, but the whole style to it just isn't my cup of tea.