Good Bye Lenin

Good-Bye-LeninGood Bye Lenin (2003)

Alex’s mother, a Soviet party devotee, suffers a heart attack just before the Berlin Wall comes down and then remains in a coma for eight months. While she sleeps, Germany is reunified. When she awakes, East Berlin has transformed! The doctor warns that her condition is so fragile that any shock could result in a lethal second heart attack. Worried his mother won’t be able to handle the titanic changes that have transpired, Alex struggles to keep her in the dark about all that has happened until she is stronger. That ends up being a tall order since East Berlin is so quick to adopt western culture.

This is a touching story on many different levels with many different lines of tension providing entertainment. It is also a great romp through historical events circa 1989 from the viewpoint of people living in East Berlin. Be aware it is heavy on subtitles due a lot of voice-over. And be on the lookout for hidden references to many other famous films.

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