That’s the new German movie with the rave reviews and the foreign language film Oscar, but don’t be fooled. The movie is technically excellent, but not thoughtful. It is part of a more general, and disturbing, trend in contemporary German culture to whitewash the past. The film shows many small acts of defiance against the Stasi, as if to redeem an otherwise sorry East German record. Last year — fortunately I cannot remember the title — we were shown the German martyrs against the Nazis.
Don’t economists emphasize the marginal unit? Can’t we have at least one movie about small acts of defiance? In principle yes, but characters implausibly discover the brotherhood of man and viewers are fed uplifting final homilies, a’la Schindler. Natasha, who lived with her equivalent of the Stasi for many years, had a similar reaction of partial disgust and incredulity.
My friends consider me a cultural Germanophile (I could do "My Favorite Things German" for weeks), but I tend to be a cynic about the blacker historical episodes in the German past. I used to hate the slow, tortuous, and pretentious Nazi-Angst movies of Fassbinder and his ilk, but they’ve aged surprisingly well, and they came much closer to striking the appropriate tone.
Addendum: Here is one good review (spoilers); by the way if you know the Hong Kong original, Infernal Affairs, you’ll find The Departed almost impossible to watch. I walked out.
Whitewashing the past?
I think that’s so untrue. Germans are barely dipping their toes into the water of addressing their own historic past. I remember when “Der Untergang” was filmed and how the German media was discussing whether Germans had the “right” to make movie about their own history.
Guilt is very alive and well in Germany, in my opinion.
I think it’s very difficult to really understand history unless you’ve lived in that environment. I haven’t. But I have parents who have. My father in the worst ways imaginable. Just a thought.
Hey, Ulli,
You might want to read Tyler’s CV before commenting on his commentary. He DID live in Germany.
I think I just saw the movie you can’t remember the name of, “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days”, I have to say thought that it was pretty blah, but I visited Munich last summer and say a display commemorating the events in the movie so it was nice to see familiar sights.
The annoying thing is that Pan’s Labyrinth should have won the Oscar.
I saw the movie with my wife who grew up in Communist Eastern Europe, and we both thought it was excellent. I don’t agree with the requirement that a movie about something bad is supposed to make you feel bad when leaving the cinema.
Richard, Tyler lived in WEST Germany. As someone who has grown up there, I can assure you that it does not give you any special insight into life in EAST Germany before 1989.
“It is part of a more general, and disturbing, trend in contemporary German culture to whitewash the past.”
What are you talking about?
I often disagree with Your reviews Tyler but I thought The Departed was highly overrated. For an interesting book on the GDR try Anna Funder’s Stasiland.
“you’ll find The Departed almost impossible to watch.”
Well not exactly. However, The Departed is strikingly unoriginal. Indeed, it is virtually a copy of the Infernal Affairs down to the details of many, many scenes.
Not too many Americans seem to know that for whatever reason. It this knowledge was widespread, I doubt it would have won an Oscar.
By the way their is an Infernal Affairs II & III.
I look forward to Tyler condemning a movie about Beethoven on the grounds that the average composer is not deaf.
Scorcese movies are always hit-or-miss to me. I loved Raging Bull, hated Taxi Driver. I loved Goodfellas, hated Gangs of New York.
Maybe this type of extreme visceral reaction to his films is what has kept Marty from getting the Oscar up ’til now.
We were heroes by Thomas Brussig.A Portnoys complaint in the East shows that german are under what in spanish is call matiz hedonico del recuerdo, sorry i dont know to say it in english.It means tath people forget what is bad or at least remember it as good
sorry.
badly closed emphasis tag
funnily enough, i found “the departed” to be a far better movie than “infernal affairs.” perhaps it was because i saw it first. but, i would argue that it was far more interesting; the analysis of damon and dicaprio’s characters went far deeper, scenarios were explained as they occurred far more comprehensively, and still it remained very interesting. i felt “infernal affairs” to be bogged down by unexplained, cheesy side love stories (with the dicaprio analog), and it didn’t really seem like damon’s counterpart was sufficiently motivated in his turn at the end. and, like i said before, the succession of scenes was just not comprehensive or threaded together that well. i’m surprised you walked out on “the departed,” tyler. at least i thought the dialogue was rich enough to make it worth watching.
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thank you very much for this article
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