Goodbye Lenin!

No hint of comedy at any single moment of the entire two hours of running time. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The theme alone is a gold mine. Too bad that the creators didn’t get anything out of it. And it is doubly disappointing that throughout Wolfgang Becker gets stuck on a thousand and one variations of the same scene. Even so, Goodbye, Lenin is a good picture because it entertains, but not using humor. If nothing else, it at least makes an attempt to come to terms with the past - whether it is successful, apt and dignified in doing so, I shall leave you to decide. This movie is utterly incomparable with the Czech “romp" Pupendo which at first glance is very similar, but at second glance everything is different. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (08/13/2007)

Rewatching the movie today, I felt like going back in time to another journey back in time. I enjoyed it just like I did the first time. It's just that I liked different things about it this time. When I first watched the movie, I was drawn in by the plot and the extreme actions taken by the main character. Today, my focus shifted to the making of TV shows for a single viewer, showcasing how easily the same shot can be repurposed for different propaganda. While the main character was only misleading his mother (for her own good), the brainwashing orchestrated by states (or other institutions) corrals the human herd into a singular, supposedly correct framework for the greater common good. / Lesson learned: Don't make the same mistake I did. Be cautious about speaking your mind; someone might notice... (07/23/2022)

The comedy label is very misleading in this case. This is definitely not a romp, but rather a sensitively conceived film about filial love, the nooks and crannies of family relationships and coping with sudden social and political changes in one's country. The certain naivety of the script in the son's masking of reality from his mother cannot be overlooked, but that would be my only complaint. I would probably enjoy it more if I were German and had experienced all the changes myself. Becker seems to have hit the bull's-eye, because Goodbye Lenin was the most successful film of the year in its country of origin. (09/27/2004)

A fairly simple and unremarkable story in the form of a drama with a bit of a humorous subtext, depicting a son's efforts to create the best illusion of society for his mother after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Pleasant music, engaging cinematography and well done interludes. The plot is simple, but still managed to grab my attention, so extra point. One of the better German films! (10/01/2010)

This film serves as an intriguing parallel to the regime that the main character tries to keep alive for his mother. Even that regime was just an illusion that had to come to an end. Acting-wise, the film is excellent and Daniel Brühl shows that he truly has had abilities throughout his career and I just hope to see him more often. (04/07/2016)