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hhschrader
Reviews
Ida (2013)
great impressive movie, lingering on
I read some of the reviews here and was quite surprised about the negativity. I had seen the movie some time ago and re-watched it selectively today after a conversation I had yesterday about the movie with a Polish friend. So the movie is "melodramatic", the story is improbable, just another predictable Holocaust drama, Agata Trzebuchowska (playing Ida) cannot act, the plot is not pure enough
and so it goes on. I grew up in post-war Berlin, in the West, being clearly aware of life behind the iron curtain. My Polish friend grew up in post-war Poland. The atmosphere of the movie is drenched in the big Eastern European post-war gray. I doubt many reviewers here on IMDb know this big gray from their own experience. They never saw it, they never heard of it, they couldn't tell whether it's authentic or not. Let me assure you: it is. This movie takes place in a perfectly subdued setting, the boredom or suffocation or meaninglessness in its naturally slow pace is omnipresent and revokes those almost forgotten times. Instead of interpreting this as "mannerism" it should be taken for what it is: a true reminiscence. And so are the moments of freedom and joy of life, which could easily be suppressed at any time for each individual but not for society as a whole. Ida's love scenes are not acted well? Is that supposed to be a joke? It's acted perfectly well. In fact, it could not be any better. It's heartbreaking. And so is the whole development of her quiet character. And, yes, it does develop. It grows up. Wanda's entanglement being victim and offender at the same time has the proportions of Greek tragedy. It may be exaggerated or rather excessive and therefore melodramatic. It still is lame against the reality of the Holocaust. I loved Wanda because she was strong, alive and fragile, I cried for her when I learned about her son, I pitied her, because I knew she was cruel and merciless almost as a matter of course. Her cruelty was a reflection of another much bigger cruelty. Is that so clichéd? She had no right to survive (this movie) – maybe that was a Hollywood-moment. Who cares? Great impressive movie for people who don't mind a little pathos and big feelings. All who prefer pop-culture life-style movies should stay away. You'll hate this movie and, frankly, I would not really care to educate you.
Heimweh... dort wo die Blumen blüh'n (1957)
a glimpse of the fifties
I consider this movie a document of where we (in the western world) come from. A soap with real moments. Sentimental - of course. But we get quite a few glimpses of bygone times that really existed whether one likes it or not. I should know because it was the world I grew up in. The story is absolutely standard: man meets girl, misunderstandings, separation, desperation, reconciliation. Doesn't this cover at least 50% of all stories being told? Sabine Bethmann has a beautiful face (her character doesn't require too much acting), Paul Hörbiger shows nice presence. No, it's certainly not a great movie. I liked: the office and workplace scenes; the Wiener Sängerknaben; "Good night" on the staircase (they did not sleep in one room); the factory owner's daughter - almost contemporary; the women's looks - none of them skinny; the abbot's reason for smoking - it helps against the lice. If you're not afraid of sentimentality, this movie will provide you with some - anthropological, historical - insight.