Das Versprechen

Ms. von Trotta directs with a very sure hand this very large canvas political drama about the divisions the German wall put between friends on both sides and how foolish its arbitrariness was. Wonderful acting and well worth spending time with. Stunningly photographed, as well.

Portraying several friends separated by the Berlin Wall, "Das Versprechen" - called "The Promise" in English - hits you right where it hurts. I thought that it was very interesting how the movie picks up about every ten years, showing the historical context each time (specifically the sign saying "Victory to the Vietnamese Revolution" in 1968, during Prague Spring). To my generation, the Berlin Wall remains part of history (I was only five when it fell), so we have to rely on movies like this to understand the whole thing. All in all, director Margarethe von Trotta did a very good job here, as did the whole cast. Definitely worth seeing.

When the Berlin wall is built to split up the city, a group of youths try to escape from the East to the West. Among them are Sophie (Meret Becker) and Konrad (Anian Zollner), but only the former makes it to the west. Konrad stays in the East, becoming a successful astronomer. Over the following decades, the lovers keep on living their lives with new families, occasionally meeting each other when circumstances are benign. Older versions of Sophie and Konrad are played by Corinna Harfouch and August Zirner.

Through the melodramatic romance of Sophie and Konrad, the film examines the effects of the Wall on the Germans. Things are more complicated than "East is bad, West is good": there are movements to both directions, and people have many reasons to move, or to choose to stay. The film conveys the atmosphere of disunity and bureaucracy well through realistic visual style, but the love story is strong in its own right too.

This is a great movie that many people can enjoy. I have seen the movie a few times and never get tired of it. It is a wonderful love story set in a terrible time. This film definitely caught the feeling of the era and I would definitely recommend this movie. Some people would be turned off because of the subtitles....but all I have to say is just give the movie a chance. The acting is top notch and the style of filming is quite good. It is a nice change from the constant Hollywood style that is usually forced upon us.

I first saw this in a German language class, and even though I'm no where near fluent, I still find this to be more enjoyable and moving than many English movies. Following the lives of two main characters, the film chronicles the period just after the wall's construction to the fall in 1989. Though all protagonist characters are of course impacted negatively by the wall, the politics of a few characters are very complex and surprising. This movie will undoubtedly make you think. Aside from politics, the main plot is a love story, and it is very powerful. The characters are imperfect, real and delightful. All in all it is evocative, emotional, and never trite. Great film.