Review - Good Bye Lenin!

It’s just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Alex’s mother, a staunch supporter of the communist GDR (heh, I still think it’s funny that it’s DDR in German) suffers a heart attack which leaves her in a coma. She wakes up months later, and Alex must keep the truth about the Wall from her, lest she suffer another heart attack.

Sounds like the perfect recipe for a cute little comedy with lots of hilarious hijinks. While the plot sets up a lot of funny moments (”Oops! Don’t let Mom see the new Coca Cola adverts plastered on the building next door!”), the real magic of the film comes from a more “meta” view, and brings a few “deep thoughts” to mind:

Is it better to die happy, or die knowing the truth? Should loved ones make that decision? What’s it like in a time and place where the world is so rapidly changing?

The use of the chosen time period works extremely well. One can imagine a similar story of someone sleeping through any other major historic event (Revolutionary War, anyone?), but I just don’t think it would be the same. While sure, the Revolutionary War changed the way the colonists lived in integral ways, it didn’t necessarily effect the very fiber of their society. The sudden insurgency of capitalism into East Germany is really the only effective radical shift that can serve as a backdrop to this story. Plus, who doesn’t love a giant statue of Lenin flying through the air (oops, have I given away too much?)

But if you peel back from the questions, “deeper meanings,” and the comedy, what you really have is a touching story about a son’s love for his mother. In the words of “Movie Chick Cheryl“:

A strong desire to do something nice for my mother? Maybe I’ll make my bed before noon tomorrow (*sorry, Mom*)

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