The Silent Revolution

Realistic, heart warming story about a fight against oppression

It is a true story, that is why it is so touching for us Hungarians to watch. To see how the world was informed about our revolution, and how it affected the lives of other peoples in the Eastern Bloc.

In 1956, in Hungary, we experienced being left alone. Now we learned from this movie that someone was with us. Thank you for your quiet stand, which was very loud compared to what was possible in the GDR at the time. And thanks to the filmmakers for telling it us.

How much does this matter to Hungary? - someone asks in the movie. Here is the answer: a lot.

It is a good movie about basic moral issues and solidarity.

I enjoyed watching this film. Based on a true story, it faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the post-war period, a few years before the building of the Berlin Wall. The direction is sober, apart from the tear-jerking sequence with Jonas Dassler crying in a church. Good acting and plot twists kept my attention until the end. I was moved by the situation of these young people. I also appreciated the values they share, such as solidarity and fraternity. With all they have to go through, it's clear that living at that time in East Germany was not a bed of roses.

Das Schweigende Klassenzimmer is based on the real-life events of a class in East Germany in 1956 that decided to dedicate two minutes of silence as an act of support to the Hungarian uprising. This causes a massive reaction and the situation soon gets out of control.

It is a thought-provoking and eye-opening movie, as it brings to light a rather unknown or forgotten part of history, though it could have pushed even more towards that direction. Instead, it tries to take a more entertaining approach by simplyfying the socio-political commentary and balancing it with the dramatic elements. Also, the villains are one-dimensional and never get any proper development.

This film is even handed and explores why people take the positions they do. the themes are universal - the older generation carry the baggage of WWII, the legacy of fascism while the younger generation of high school students are idealistic and, to some extent, naive and easily manipulated. We understand why the East German government finds it imperative to stamp out 'counter revolutionary' activity. The characters are well rounded, not just evil cardboard cut outs. School officials are caught up in and compromised by a political system. The irony is by working together and maintaining solidarity the school students show precisely the qualities the 'socialist' regime of the GDR was supposed to be all about. The intrusive incidental music was the only thing which grated for me, and at times the movie lapsed in to melodrama but on the whole it was entertaining and thought provoking with a lavish attention to period detail.