Thursday, February 03, 2005

Say Hello to 'Good Bye Lenin!'

My son and I just finished watching, Good Bye Lenin!, a German film released in 2003. (Originally titled, Die DDR lebt weiter -- auf 79 qm!, meaning, The GDR Lives On--on 79 square meters.)

It's a movie that could have veered into slapstick, with its nearly surreal, broadly hysterical premise. But it manages to be poignant as well as funny. It also packs a surprise near its end, just when it was beginning to wear out its welcome from me.

One of the issues clearly raised by this film is, When might it be acceptable to lie to someone you love in order to protect them?

Another might be, How can we be certain that the commitment to causes we see in people is genuine?

If you haven't seen the movie yet, I won't ruin it by saying more. It's available for rental or purchase these days. I recommend it. It's entertaining and funny, touching and thought-provoking.

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