Movie Stats:
Released 2008 (USA)
American & German, in English (minor, non-translated German, Greek & Latin)
Director - Stephen Daldry
Stars - Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross
Plot Summary:
Michael Berg reflects on Hanna Schmitz (Winslet), the older woman with whom he had a sexual relationship as a teenager & who later went on trial for WWII-era war crimes. Fiennes plays Berg as an adult; Kross plays the young Berg.
Warnings:
Full nudity of both men & women; sexy times (most of it would be considered statutory rape in a modern setting).
Bad Stuff:
Kross is the weak link of the cast. I thought he did a fine job as a naive 15-year-old, but later in the film, when he’s college-aged & the script called for heavier, more serious acting, he wasn’t good.
This is nitpicky, but it drove me nuts that this is set in Germany but instead of speaking German they spoke English with German accents. I understand why studios don’t want to release foreign-language films (lots of people don’t like watching subtitles), but these are the kinds of things that disappoint me. If it’s set in a certain country, they should be speaking that country’s language.
[SPOILER]
I don’t think I believe that a person would rather go to jail for life (or potentially be sentenced to death) than admit they can’t read.
[SPOILER]
Good Stuff:
I like how it subtly draws the parallel between Hanna’s actions in the war and her actions with Michael; both are symptoms of her central problem as a person.
Relatedly, I like that Hanna isn’t evil. She’s a bad person but it’s not borne out of any maliciousness. She’s just selfish and lacks the capacity to see how her actions affect other people. I think that’s a lot truer to life than most movie villains.
It’s nice to see a time period of German history that isn’t WWII/The Holocaust portrayed in film.
About the Performance:
I’m a Winslet fan. She’s very good in this. She makes no attempt to make Hanna likable because she’s not. The scene that impressed me most was when Hanna was on trial, where she doesn’t seem to understand that her candor will land her in hot water because while her own actions make sense to her, they seem reprehensible to others. I thought Winslet portrayed Hanna’s confusion and irritation with the proceedings well. She’s one of the most breathtakingly selfish characters I’ve ever seen in film and yet it’s played so well that you don’t truly see it until the end.
Other performances of Winslet’s I’ve reviewed: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Titanic.
The Verdict:
I had a difficult time with this film because of all the statutory rape. Even though I knew that in the 1950s no one would have considered it that & also knew that the actor wasn’t actually that young, it made me very uncomfortable, particularly given the extensive sex scenes. It took me a while to get over it. Once I did, I grew to admire this film. Hanna is exactly the type of adult who would have sex with a 15-year-old because she herself is emotionally immature. No one her own age would put up with her. When, later, you find out what she did during the war, it makes perfect sense. That's just who she is. This is an unpleasant watch. At the same time, it’s sort of fascinating. It’s an intriguing film. I don’t know that I’d ever want to watch it again, but it was good for one time.
I give it 4 stars.
3 comments:
This movie has come home with me from the library multiple times. I've not ever watched it, though. Matt did, and he really liked it.
I don't think movies made for English-speaking audiences MUST be made in the language in which they are set. But I don't think having them speak English with a German accent is necessary. Just speak English. We won't forget we're in Germany.
Yes, I concur with your second comment; that would be a good compromise. I think you would probably like this film, but I certainly have movies that I have repeatedly intended to watch without ever getting around to it.
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