Good Bye Lenin!

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. (27.09.2004)

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 (13.08.2007)

I'd be happier if the film was more often in the comedy groove and didn't slide into the hundred times seen family drama where everyone has a different cross to bear. The movie actually manages to be really funny (the fake news made by the friend of the hero). I’m giving it four stars not so much because of the decent direction and likable main character, but rather because of the novel idea of a character balancing between two systems, from which he picks and chooses elements to shape a world he really wants to live in. The film goes a little left, but knows when to stop, and works in much the same way as modern WWII cinema – it no longer depicts only the vile Nazis, beasts in human form, but also the hateful actions of the liberated side (the forced marches, the shooting of the collaborators, the abuse of women who slept with officers). And on balance, it’s right, because I'm convinced that if the regime hadn't fallen overnight, but had slowly eaten itself from the inside out until people realized they lived in a free country, 19% (19%!!!!!!) wouldn't vote the fucking commies back in. (10.10.2011)

Smart and above-average satire on the so-called ostalgia, or nostalgic longing for the old, good certainties of real socialism in the extinct GDR, and not just by German standards. We actually know this phenomenon in a weaker form here as well... The film is based on an excellent idea supported by a well-developed screenplay and decent, imaginative direction. The actors are typologically precise and generally good in their roles. However, the ones who can truly enjoy this little gem the most are the witnesses who experienced that era and know... Overall impression 85%. (03.09.2007)

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... (23.07.2022)