The Downfall of Berlin: Anonyma (2008)

A woman tries to survive the invasion of Berlin by the Soviet troops during the last days of World War II.

Director:

Max Färberböck

Writers:

Max Färberböck, Marta Hillers (book) (as Anonyma)

Stars:

Nina Hoss, Evgeniy Sidikhin, Irm Hermann

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nina Hoss	...	Anonyma
Evgeniy Sidikhin	...	Major Andreij Rybkin
Irm Hermann	...	Witwe
Rüdiger Vogler	...	Eckhart
Ulrike Krumbiegel	...	Ilse Hoch
Rolf Kanies	...	Friedrich Hoch
Jördis Triebel	...	Bärbel Malthaus
Roman Gribkov	...	Anatol
Juliane Köhler	...	Elke
Samvel Muzhikyan	...	Andropov
Aleksandra Kulikova	...	Masha
Viktor Zhalsanov	...	asiatischer Rotarmist
Oleg Chernov	...	Erster Vergewaltiger
Eva Löbau	...	Frau Wendt
Anne Kanis	...	Flüchtlingsmädchen

Storyline

A nameless woman keeps a diary as the Russians invade Berlin in the spring of 1945. She is in her early 30s, a patriotic journalist with international credentials; her husband, Gerd, a writer, is an officer at the Russian front. She speaks Russian and, for a day or two after the invasion, keeps herself safe, but then the rapes begin. She resolves to control her fate and invites the attentions of a Russian major, Andreij Rybkin. He becomes her protector of sorts subject to pressures from his own fellow soldiers and officers. Dramas play out in the block of flats where she lives. Is she an amoral traitor? She asks, "How do we go on living?" And what of Gerd and her diary?

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Plot Keywords:

woman raped | raped by soldier | defeat of nazis | forced sexual contact | year 1945 | 

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Taglines:

World War II ends and her story begins...

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany]

Country:

Germany Poland

Language:

German Russian Georgian

Release Date:

23 October 2008 (Germany)

Also Known As:

A Woman in Berlin

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,439, 19 July 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$291,812, 20 November 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Constantin Film,Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF),Tempus

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min 175 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anonyma's memoir was virtually banned in Germany when it was first published in the late 50s. However, it became a huge bestseller and nationwide sensation when it was reprinted in 2003.

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Goofs

In the film it was announced that Germany had surrendered and the Russians broke into singing the anthem version that had been adopted somewhat in 1944 and known as the "Alexandrov version." However it had no lyrics until Stalin intervened. It is doubtful that war events would have permitted all soldiers to learn it because of the fierceness of the war. Most likely they would have broke into the chorus of the better known anthem which was known as "The Internationale."

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Quotes

Anonyma: [in German] Soldier! Why are you taking a woman against her will?

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Connections

Featured in History: Anonyma - Die Frauen von Berlin (2010)

User Reviews

Now we step on the corpses of dead women just to get to a jar of jam.

War is not a pleasant experience. Those who follow the news know that there have been several of our own soldiers accused and prosecuted for rape and murder in Iraq. In all wars there are local citizens who prostitute themselves to feed their family. It is often hard to make a choice between honor and survival.

This is the story of German women at the end of WWII when the Russians have moved into Germany. They are, of course, raped and abused, as women often are by invading armies. The question then becomes, how best to survive. Anonyma (Nina Hoss) decides the best way is to find the best Russian officer to care for her in exchange for sex.

It is easy to see why the Germans and the Russians hated the book, upon which this film is based, when it came out after the war. They are not shown in a good light. That is no surprise. Soldiers usually do not come from Ivy League universities, but from farms and shops.

Nina Hoss is one of the very few women that can look splendid even in rags.

Oustanding film.