Throughout the summer, the rumors of the German film industry had been bubbling properly. Where was Christian Petzold’s new movie “Phoenix”? Had he the festival in Cannes actually rejected for quality reasons? If one were to him in Venice, not because there was already running with Fatih Akin another German director in the competition? And were the reactions at the first press screening in August actually for critics favorite Petzold ratios behave like? Its world premiere “Phoenix” in the end in any event in early September at the Festival in Toronto, a little off the usual German feuilleton radar.
With his seventh feature film Petzold goes further than ever back in German history. The Second World War has just ended, Germany and finally Berlin in ruins. In June 1945, is Nelly (Nina Hoss), a Jew and survivor of Auschwitz, with einbandagiertem head at the hospital. With great effort the doctors tried to reconstruct their shattered face somewhat. But either outwardly or inwardly it is the same person she was before the war as a successful singer.
Nelly’s girlfriend Lene (Nina Kunz village), an employee of the Jewish Agency wants to persuade them to come to Palestine, where the surviving Jews an independent state and a new future wave. But Nelly wants in the ruins of Berlin, her husband Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld) find, even if Lene believed he had betrayed to the Nazis and knows that he considers it dead. Freed from the past associations succeed Nelly actually track him down. But he does not recognize them again, only a strange resemblance to his wife. Johnny slaps her a deal: Nelly is as they spend themselves to come to the considerable inheritance of their murdered family so. Uncertain they can to it. To perhaps regain their old identity. And
to tell
Can this be done, so the horrors of the Nazi era to the truth about his supposed love out.? From the unbearable fate of the Jews in Germany, of treachery and inhumanity of the wounds and scars left by the Third Reich in the people and families? Of course you can. And Christian Petzold shows in “Phoenix”, that it is very complex, fascinating and haunting even. Multi-faceted and exciting it manages to find an access to the well-known post-war setting, linked to Melodram- and noir elements, as well as his apparent through all his films attracting interest for Reconstruction and doppelgangers, ghosts and demons of the past.
to make the premise believable that this is a husband to his own wife does not recognize (the operated face or not) – not even Petzold succeed to the last, however, of the screenplay after motives of the novel “retour Le of cendres” by Hubert Montilhet again collaborated with the recently deceased Harun Farocki. Whether one looks at “Phoenix” as a masterpiece or as interesting failed attempt, therefore depends on whether one is willing to overlook it. The outstanding actresses benefits – not least of Petzold’s parent protagonist Hoss and Kunz village, which as Lene in a few scenes manage to condense the fate of German Jews to a single person – and not least of Petzold memorable staged end of the film make it though easy to do just that. And lo and behold: In Toronto, the cheers from the audience and international journalists knew no bounds
Credited
director. Christian Petzold
Starring: Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld Nina Kunz village, Imogen Kogge
Country of production: D 2014
Length: 98 minutes
Certificate: 12 years and
Rental: Piffl
Trailer Review:
www.suedkurier.de/kritik
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