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Good Bye Lenin!

  • 2003
  • R
  • 2h 1m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
157K
YOUR RATING
Daniel Brühl and Chulpan Khamatova in Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Title Treatment
Play clip2:04
Watch Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Title Treatment
6 Videos
99+ Photos
SatireComedyDramaRomance

In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.

  • Director
    • Wolfgang Becker
  • Writers
    • Bernd Lichtenberg
    • Wolfgang Becker
    • Achim von Borries
  • Stars
    • Daniel Brühl
    • Katrin Sass
    • Chulpan Khamatova
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    157K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Wolfgang Becker
    • Writers
      • Bernd Lichtenberg
      • Wolfgang Becker
      • Achim von Borries
    • Stars
      • Daniel Brühl
      • Katrin Sass
      • Chulpan Khamatova
    • 268User reviews
    • 127Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 36 wins & 22 nominations total

    Videos6

    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Title Treatment
    Clip 2:04
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Title Treatment
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Ready To Roll
    Clip 2:26
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Ready To Roll
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Ready To Roll
    Clip 2:26
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Ready To Roll
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: East Vs. West
    Clip 1:01
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: East Vs. West
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Restoring The Room
    Clip 0:39
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: Restoring The Room
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: The Future Lay In Our Hands
    Clip 0:58
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: The Future Lay In Our Hands
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: This Was Our Money
    Clip 1:10
    Goodbye, Lenin! Scene: This Was Our Money

    Photos131

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    Top cast88

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    Daniel Brühl
    Daniel Brühl
    • Alex Kerner
    Katrin Sass
    Katrin Sass
    • Mutter Christiane Kerner
    • (as Katrin Saß)
    Chulpan Khamatova
    Chulpan Khamatova
    • Lara
    Florian Lukas
    Florian Lukas
    • Denis
    Maria Simon
    Maria Simon
    • Ariane
    Alexander Beyer
    Alexander Beyer
    • Rainer
    Burghart Klaußner
    Burghart Klaußner
    • Robert Kerner - Alex' Vater
    Michael Gwisdek
    Michael Gwisdek
    • Klapprath
    Christine Schorn
    • Frau Schäfer
    Jürgen Holtz
    • Herr Ganske
    Jochen Stern
    • Herr Mehlert
    Stefan Walz
    • Sigmund Jähn
    Eberhard Kirchberg
    • Dr. Wagner
    Hans-Uwe Bauer
    • Dr. Mewes
    Nico Ledermueller
    • Alex - 11 Jahre
    • (as Nico Ledermüller)
    Jelena Kratz
    • Ariane - 13 Jahre
    Laureen Hatscher
    • Baby Paula - 1 Jahr
    Felicitas Hatscher
    • Baby Paula - 1 Jahr
    • Director
      • Wolfgang Becker
    • Writers
      • Bernd Lichtenberg
      • Wolfgang Becker
      • Achim von Borries
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews268

    7.7156.5K
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    Featured reviews

    8Leadfoot_vts

    You need experience for this one!

    I must say, people who haven't lived in one of the socialist countries can watch this movie, but they will never really understand it. Who hasn't personally experienced the fall of socialism, will never understand the mixed emotions that this film reminds viewers from Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and other ex-socialist countries of Eastern and Central Europe - the euphoria of freedom (but also the hardships our countries had to - and still have to - face) and the nostalgia for some aspects of life back then before 1989... So, I must say, I just loved the movie, but not because it is a particularly good one, but because it evokes such powerful emotions out of me. In the end, the protagonist comments, that he will always associate the memory of his mother with the memory of an era and a country that no longer exists. I exactly know what he means... I was 9 when socialism fell in my home country, so I belong to the last age group that experienced life in the socialist era. I am one of the last ones who remember what was life like then - and I don't regret that at all. In fact, that is a really emotional memory that I have, and I am proud that my country helped to remove the first brick from the Wall... Finally, let me recommend a similar film from Hungary - Moszkva tér (Moscow square)...
    8CelluloidRehab

    Funny, Sad, Intelligent ....

    This story has it all : family tragedy, growth (from child to adult and even growth as an adult), dealing with political and social change, and romance. I think the story gives one a good idea of just how much change occurred when the Iron Curtain fell over Eastern Europe and the difficulties and opportunities it brought. The story revolves around Alex, his sister and their mother. Their mother has a heart attack and then goes into a coma. During her coma, communism fell and then she wakes up. Advised by her doctor that she cannot take any form of excitement, Alex goes about creating the illusion that communism is alive and well. This often takes a comical twist on the differences between the communist east and capitalist west. There is also the subtle hint of discrimination by both sides against the other. In the end the story is about family and loved ones and what we are willing to do to make those around us happy. Go out and rent this movie.

    -Celluloid Rehab
    8itamarscomix

    Socially conscious black comedy

    'Good Bye, Lenin!' is a fascinating German film that was for unclear reasons denied a best foreign film nomination in the recent Oscars, but I consider it one of the best films I've seen this year. 'Good Bye, Lenin!' is an entertaining and surreal black comedy, that doesn't really stand the test of logic and reality, but beneath the surface it's really a very socially conscious film, that gets across very well the atmosphere and problems of the post-communist East Germany.

    The story is of Alex, whose mother, a devoted member of the Communist Party, suffers a heart attack which sends her into a coma - through which she sleeps throughout the months of revolution and the fall of the communist regime. When she awakes, the doctors warn Alex not to cause his mother any anxiety or excitement; therefore, he goes to ludicrously immense lengths to keep her convinced that communism in East Berlin is still alive. Not much of it, once again, stands the test of reason, but it's incredibly witty and entertaining, and manages, throughout, to get across some powerful statements.

    'Good Bye, Lenin!' is both fun and important, a film which I recommend to everyone. Don't be afraid of European cinema; even though the film might be difficult to come by, it's very rewarding and well worth your time.
    8michael_robert_burns

    Refreshing

    This was a good film, and I think it needed to be made. A way of life disappeared in Europe, perhaps forever, and it seems appropriate that the fall of Communism has thus been documented.

    The basic premise of "Goodbye Lenin" is that the young man's mother is in a coma over the months when the Berlin Wall is coming down. She wakes up (oblivious) in united Germany, but as she is so fragile she cannot be allowed to know that everything she held dear has collapsed. What ensues is a comic and moving scenario - her son does his best to pretend that nothing has changed.

    Yes, the movie is a little drawn-out. And most of the comedy is lost on non-Germans, or those unaware of the political climate in the region. However, there are clear universal issues to be considered; idealism, hope, family. There is one particular scene which I thought encompassed exactly how the main protagonist feels - he is at a bank trying to change his mother's old East German currency into Deutschmarks but the deadline has passed. He becomes aggravated by the sheep-like behaviour of his peers. After all, this is their culture being crushed by McCapitalism, but their individual vaunting ambition blinds them from doing something about it. Very refreshing to see this on the big screen.

    All in all, "Goodbye Lenin" is a nicely-rounded statement of where the European film industry is heading, and it will appeal to most independent-minded people on both an artistic and political level. 8/10.
    Cowman

    Hello, Masterpiece!

    The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a historically significant event not just for the people of Germany, but also for much of the rest of the world. Aside from reuniting two vastly different political systems, this remarkable incident marked a turning point for the capitalist uprising occurring within many of the other socialist states. Filmmakers worldwide have since explored the causes and effects of the German Reunification, and even today, they continue to bring new insight and a fresh perspective to an event that occurred nearly fifteen years ago. Wolfgang Becker's GOOD BYE, LENIN! is among the most recent of such films, and probably among the best of them as well.

    Rather than charging head-on at a specific political standing, GOOD BYE, LENIN! uses carefully controlled satire to poke fun at the absurdities of both communist and capitalist societies. And despite criticism from gung-ho supporters of either system, Becker is careful not to take sides or appear sympathetic toward any political institution. Instead of concentrating exclusively on the governmental changes of the newly reunified Germany, he wisely opts to narrow his focus on the effects that these changes have on one particular Berlin family. By doing this, Becker is able to show the challenges of adapting to a new, unfamiliar way of life in a context that is much more personal and easier for the viewer to identify with.

    The humor in GOOD BYE, LENIN! is plentiful, and Becker takes advantage of every possible opportunity to fit in a comedic moment. Even during the most somber parts of the story, the film never lets go of its astute sense of humor; and because the humor is always thought-provoking and cleverly executed, it never feels forced or gratuitous. The running joke about Alex's unremitting quest for Spreewald pickle jars and the scene where Alex's bedridden mother is perplexed by the Coca-Cola banner hanging from the building across from hers' are brilliant examples of the movie's sharp, yet sensitive wit. Aside from just being funny in themselves, these bits work doubly well because of their uses of symbolism and metaphor. The Spreewald pickles, now impossible to find because of the fall of the GDR, are representative of the `good old days' when Alex was familiar with the ways of his country and when his mother was in good health. His almost frantic search for them shows his longing to return to the way things used to be. Likewise, the unfurling of the Coca-Cola banner is the perfect embodiment of all the capitalist changes occurring within the new Germany. Once you begin to see the Coca-Cola and Burger King logos, you know that capitalism has truly grabbed hold and that there is now no escaping its embrace, for better or for worse.

    GOOD BYE, LENIN! makes great use of this type of imagery to emphasize the country's transformation and to provide insight to the emotions of the main characters. A most notable instance of this is the scene where Alex's mother, a staunch supporter of socialism, finally leaves her home to a very different East Germany than the one she remembered. She then looks to the sky and sees a helicopter airlifting a statue of Lenin off the top of a building. As Lenin is being hauled away, his outstretched arm seems to be reaching out to her, as if he's calling out for her to rescue him and his ideals, and restore her beloved country.

    Alex's complex lies and meticulous attempts at preserving the past for his mother are innocent enough at first, but eventually they begin to take on a life of their own. The lengths he goes through to maintain the atmosphere of a bygone era and keep his mother happy are indeed funny, but they are also very tragic as well. Though the lies do work temporarily to keep his mother oblivious to the events outside of her apartment, they also plunge Alex and his family into such a deep pool of deception that they eventually lose their closeness with one another. The stress of keeping up the façade becomes unbearable for Alex, and at one point he even wishes his mother were dead.

    Other humor was purely cultural, and probably only appreciable by people who have actually experienced the Reunification. I noticed this only because of the native German family sitting in front of me at the theater, laughing in unison at dialogue and images that didn't look to me like they were meant to be interpreted as humorous. But still, even though the older generations of German people are likely to get more out of this movie, it is still a hilarious, heartfelt, and incredibly rewarding experience for people of all cultures and ethnicities.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      CGI was used extensively to "de-Westernize" Berlin. Even though it's mostly shot in the former East Berlin and much of the film takes place after the fall of the wall, it's been Westernized since at a furious rate. Many ads for Western products had to be removed, and many colors had to be lightened or grayed significantly.
    • Goofs
      Denis wears a "digital rain"-style T-shirt in 1989 because he has developed the idea himself and has come up with an idea for a film exactly like The Matrix (1999), which he describes in a deleted scene (the letters are not identical to the Matrix scheme.) The joke is that the idea originated in East Germany; compare the claim in one of Denis's fake news shows that the Coca-Cola formula was invented there. It also ties in to the film's main theme of keeping people in a simulated reality.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      [spoiler]

      Alexander Kerner: [voiceover] My mother outlived the GDR by three days. I believe it was a good thing she never learned the truth. She died happy. She wanted us to scatter her ashes to the winds. That's prohibited in Germany, both East and West. But we didn't care.

      [launches rocket]

      Alexander Kerner: She's up there somewhere now. Maybe looking down at us. Maybe she sees us as tiny specks on the Earth's surface, just like Sigmund Jähn did back then. The country my mother left behind was a country she believed in; a country we kept alive till her last breath; a country that never existed in that form; a country that, in my memory, I will always associate with my mother.

    • Crazy credits
      Renowned German actor Jürgen Vogel plays the chicken in the supermarket and is credited as "Das Küken" ("young chicken").
    • Connections
      Featured in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Mocca-Milch-Eisbar
      Written by Thomas Natschinski and Hartmut König

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    FAQ18

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 14, 2004 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Germany)
      • Sony Picture Classics (United States)
    • Languages
      • German
      • English
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Goodbye Lenin!
    • Filming locations
      • Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany
    • Production companies
      • X-Filme Creative Pool
      • Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
      • ARTE
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €4,800,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,064,200
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $57,968
      • Feb 29, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $79,316,957
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 1 minute
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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