I saw this film in Manhattan as part of a film and video festival. It was the longest feature of the evening, and by far the most polished and engaging. The recurrent "trains" metaphor was haunting and stayed with me long after the evening was over. To me, the central purpose of the film was to explore the complacency of people as events unfolded around them which, in hindsight, clearly indicated a rush towards disaster. I think this is an important lesson for us to bear in mind in America today.
Complaints? Maybe just this, perhaps rather odd, one: The depiction of life in Berlin in the 30's is accomplished by interweaving vintage photos and shots featuring the film's actors. This visual matching is very skillfully done, giving the film a "documentary" look in the Berlin sections that can lull the non-alert viewer into thinking that they've seen it all before. For my personal taste, the strongest and most entertaining sections of the film were the imaginative and sometimes hilarious surreal scenarios.
Complaints? Maybe just this, perhaps rather odd, one: The depiction of life in Berlin in the 30's is accomplished by interweaving vintage photos and shots featuring the film's actors. This visual matching is very skillfully done, giving the film a "documentary" look in the Berlin sections that can lull the non-alert viewer into thinking that they've seen it all before. For my personal taste, the strongest and most entertaining sections of the film were the imaginative and sometimes hilarious surreal scenarios.