Berlin Alexanderplatz is beautifully directed and it doesn't make you feel distracted from the story considering its 3 hour length. On the other hand this film doesn't necessarily offer anything new or surprising to the viewer so I'd suggest keeping the expectations not so high.
16 Reviews
A star is born: Robert Schuch
PaxtonMalloy15 July 2020
Remember when almost nobody knew who Christoph Waltz was? And then everybody watched Inglourious Basterds and the rest is history. With Robert Schuch who plays one of the main characters it will be the same. Every actor in this movie is very good but he is acting circles around the others. You are glued to the screen every time he is on screen and he has a lot to play with since his character changes a lot during the movie. And the more we realize what he does with the character we can't help to be in awe with this troubled character.
Even though I would say watch the movie just to see Schuch's performance Berlin Alexanderplatz is a great movie. I didn't know anything about it. Just saw the trailer and my jaw dropped when I saw that is 3 hours long. But the trailer already kind of told you that this is something different. To be honest you could tell this story probably with 30 minutes less but it definitely needs to be long because you watch the journey of two men even though one is supposed to be the focus. The cast is great, the music is chosen well and it is shot beautifully. They create this world that our characters live in which by the way has nothing in common with reality but it isn't supposed to. It is full of colorful characters some of them very over the top. It is big, it is loud and you will have the full range of emotions. You will laugh, you will be scared in some scenes anticipating bad to happen, you will feel sorry for people, you will be angry at them and also love when they love.
Even though I would say watch the movie just to see Schuch's performance Berlin Alexanderplatz is a great movie. I didn't know anything about it. Just saw the trailer and my jaw dropped when I saw that is 3 hours long. But the trailer already kind of told you that this is something different. To be honest you could tell this story probably with 30 minutes less but it definitely needs to be long because you watch the journey of two men even though one is supposed to be the focus. The cast is great, the music is chosen well and it is shot beautifully. They create this world that our characters live in which by the way has nothing in common with reality but it isn't supposed to. It is full of colorful characters some of them very over the top. It is big, it is loud and you will have the full range of emotions. You will laugh, you will be scared in some scenes anticipating bad to happen, you will feel sorry for people, you will be angry at them and also love when they love.
Epic
mozhoven27 February 2020
The story follows the rise and fall of Francis (Welket Bungué), a refugee who tries to be a good man while earning a living in a wealthy country suppressing the options to do so. He is soon approached by a drug dealer (Albrecht Schuch) offering what seems to be a way out of his misery. Thus, the tragedy unfolds.
Burhan Qurbani's handwriting as a director has significantly improved over the course of his now three feature-length films. And now he has delivered a masterpiece. The film manages to combine elements of hyper-realism with poetic moments, strengthening each other's impact. The music is sometimes subtle, sometimes loud, and always on point. The actors' delivery is gripping and powerful. The story itself is an adaptation of Döblin's masterpiece novel of the same name. It is fittingly transferred into current day Berlin, and - while staying true to the novel's intent - it is told in a far more concise manner to suit its format.
I actually hate movies longer than 100 minutes, but due to its separation into 5 chapters Qurbani somehow managed to not annoy or bore me for a second.
Five out og Ten
velvet_zoo8 November 2020
Cinematography, art direction and costumes are setting the stage for a few great actors like Albrecht Schuch and Joachim Krol who all sadly fail to bring a flawed script to greatness in this artistic effort. One star each for the above mentioned.
Incredible adaptation of a masterpiece book
denis-2379116 March 2020
Amazing job of bringing this 1920s story into 2020 to depict modern conflicts which, after all, are not so different from 100 years ago. Very well directed and beautifully shot to portray underground life and its unusual relationships. Maybe a nuance too long but great to watch. Impressingly well played by the Reinhold character.
Evil!
moviesknight14 January 2022
German cinema at it's absolute BEST!
grubenstier14 December 2020
In search of a good life in Berlin
dakjets2 January 2024
Migration. Refugees. Asylum seekers. Familiar terms. Eventually also a number of films about the lives of these people who choose to flee in the hope of finding a better life.
This ambitious, long German film is thus an important contribution in shedding light on the lives of some of these people. A film with a message, which in turn can give us viewers new insight.
However, I must write that this film turned out to be completely different from what I had thought beforehand. It starts with an escape. In the first part, it shows the incredible vulnerability many of these people experience. Not a passport. Not rights. Vulnerable to being exploited, which this main character also experiences to a great extent.
Later in the film, a shift occurs. The main character survives by getting involved in criminal activities and with some scary criminals who have major consequences for him. The film then turns into a kind of crime/action film.
This movie is good. It could have been somewhat shorter, but is still worth watching. Welket Bungué as the protagonist Francis plays convincingly. German shooting star Albrecht Schuch is uncannily good as the psychopathic and brutal Reinhold. The film is peppered with many exciting personalities, also with skilled actors who give convincing life to these characters.
A minus from me at the end: there is a narrator's voice that we can regularly hear in the film to describe Francis' thoughts and actions. Totally unnecessary. The film is so clear and insightful, that we could have let go of this Minnie Mouse voice that keeps popping up.
This ambitious, long German film is thus an important contribution in shedding light on the lives of some of these people. A film with a message, which in turn can give us viewers new insight.
However, I must write that this film turned out to be completely different from what I had thought beforehand. It starts with an escape. In the first part, it shows the incredible vulnerability many of these people experience. Not a passport. Not rights. Vulnerable to being exploited, which this main character also experiences to a great extent.
Later in the film, a shift occurs. The main character survives by getting involved in criminal activities and with some scary criminals who have major consequences for him. The film then turns into a kind of crime/action film.
This movie is good. It could have been somewhat shorter, but is still worth watching. Welket Bungué as the protagonist Francis plays convincingly. German shooting star Albrecht Schuch is uncannily good as the psychopathic and brutal Reinhold. The film is peppered with many exciting personalities, also with skilled actors who give convincing life to these characters.
A minus from me at the end: there is a narrator's voice that we can regularly hear in the film to describe Francis' thoughts and actions. Totally unnecessary. The film is so clear and insightful, that we could have let go of this Minnie Mouse voice that keeps popping up.
Almost a good film
guilhermea-5680716 July 2020
This film had everything to work. It's loosely based on a good novel, the initial premise sounds good, a refugee looking for redemption is corrupted by his environment in Berlin, the cinematography is amazing (not often the case in German cinema), editing is good, I loved the sets too. Regarding the acting, there were some great moments but it looked inconsistent, in the end I believe the actors did a great job with the poor screenplay provided to them. The story just doesn't work. The relationships between characters are not credibel, they are born out of nowhere, out of nothing, there is no tension there, there is no development in those relationships and it made me not understand nor care about them (all the relationships of the main character, they make no sense to me). Also that villain, it was actually a well written psycopath, but at some point I bet someone fell in love with the cool character they were writing and he started taking way too much space on the story. In the end it's almost a good movie, but it doesn't really reach that level.
a movie as good as you think
rasketeer19 February 2021
This is one of the movies you have to see with already the attitude you are going to like it. If you are one of the persons who didn't expect anyrhing, you will have a lots of wtf moments.
The movie is like during movie making classes. The teacher picks one topic, let's say emotional confusion caused by female dominance and superiority with her confronting expression of sexuality and emotion; then let's pick a place, maybe a forest that might represent something and would be artistic, just not have someting that would fit the story; then let's pick some characters, what about the guy we were talking about and some women, that will do it ... and so one of the scenes was created
Seriously, there is no clear line, no explanation, no development
At one point the protagonist loses ground after acting irrational emotional, drifting without hold, perspective option... represented in a 10 second scene You could take this scene, put it in another movie like Hangover, without change. It is so much lacking of any substance.
The movie is like during movie making classes. The teacher picks one topic, let's say emotional confusion caused by female dominance and superiority with her confronting expression of sexuality and emotion; then let's pick a place, maybe a forest that might represent something and would be artistic, just not have someting that would fit the story; then let's pick some characters, what about the guy we were talking about and some women, that will do it ... and so one of the scenes was created
Seriously, there is no clear line, no explanation, no development
At one point the protagonist loses ground after acting irrational emotional, drifting without hold, perspective option... represented in a 10 second scene You could take this scene, put it in another movie like Hangover, without change. It is so much lacking of any substance.
Another Masterpiece from Germany
mehdilali-2723316 February 2021
It's impressive to see the development of German movies in the past years. This movie have everything in my opinion - great storytelling, very good acting / character development, brilliant writing and very good Camera performance. This kind of movies are getting really rare and I enjoyed every minute of it. Please more ....
Epic (drama) and German(?)
kosmasp12 February 2021
I know, I'm at least as surprised as you. Believe you me, I'm one of the greatest ... wait let me rephrase that: I'm one of the most fierce critics when it comes to German movies. I detect bad acting and bad dialog and just go for the throat when that happens. Sometimes (often actually) being maybe a bit too harsh to those movies, especially considering the rating they get here or other places. In this case though, things are different as you can see.
Let me begin though with one thing: I've never seen the now over 40 year old Berlin Alexanderplatz. But I'm in good company because one of the main characters hadn't seen it either, before they filmed this. And he says it helped him with his performance. And that man is Schuch - one half of a self destroying pair!
Now the runtime may be a bit too much for some viewers. We are now used to watch shorter movies or rather our concentration does usually not hold up for a long period of time. On the other hand and also because this is split into 5 part, just perceive this as binge watching.
And while there are movies where I think: anyone can do that, come on. This is one of those showcases where I'm like "damn that is some tight filmmaking and acting - you actually need talented people to pull stuff like this off! So kudos to those involved and sorry if you hoped I could compare this to the novel or the previous incarnation on film - which I surely will watch in the future, just not sure when! So many things on my list
Let me begin though with one thing: I've never seen the now over 40 year old Berlin Alexanderplatz. But I'm in good company because one of the main characters hadn't seen it either, before they filmed this. And he says it helped him with his performance. And that man is Schuch - one half of a self destroying pair!
Now the runtime may be a bit too much for some viewers. We are now used to watch shorter movies or rather our concentration does usually not hold up for a long period of time. On the other hand and also because this is split into 5 part, just perceive this as binge watching.
And while there are movies where I think: anyone can do that, come on. This is one of those showcases where I'm like "damn that is some tight filmmaking and acting - you actually need talented people to pull stuff like this off! So kudos to those involved and sorry if you hoped I could compare this to the novel or the previous incarnation on film - which I surely will watch in the future, just not sure when! So many things on my list
One of the best movies of 2021
wickedmikehampton10 December 2021
Operatic yet gritty in scope and gloom, 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' is one of 2021's highlights. Director Burhan Qurbani is to be commended for joining the rare rank of directors who are unafraid of an epic length to allow their stories and characters to develop - I wouldn't cut any of the 3 hours.
Welket Bungué is excellent as a frustrating character I both rooted for and berated. Albrecht Schuch is darkly exuberant as the protagonist, competing with the likes of Anthony Hopkins for actor of the year.
If there's a lesson to be learned it's that loyalty can be an addiction, and that addiction isn't love.
I am encouraged to find Qurbani's previous movie, 'We Are Young, We Are Strong'.
Welket Bungué is excellent as a frustrating character I both rooted for and berated. Albrecht Schuch is darkly exuberant as the protagonist, competing with the likes of Anthony Hopkins for actor of the year.
If there's a lesson to be learned it's that loyalty can be an addiction, and that addiction isn't love.
I am encouraged to find Qurbani's previous movie, 'We Are Young, We Are Strong'.
Painful
grug_018 November 2023
The whole thing, all three hours of it, went nowhere in particular. There are filmmakers who can put together a compelling 180 minute character study, but Qurbani doesn't appear to be one of them.
Most of what made Döblin's novel so interesting is absent here. The updated setting, with its focus on refugee identiy and experience, opens up a world of possibility that the film never really explores in great depth - though it really wants you to think it has. It's stylish, sure, but even that begins to grate fairly quickly. The whispered, whinging voice-over, reminding us every so often what we're supposed to be feeling, is overused and begins to border on the ridiculous.
All in all, 4 stars for some good camerawork and solid performances. Unfortunately, nothing else delivered.
Most of what made Döblin's novel so interesting is absent here. The updated setting, with its focus on refugee identiy and experience, opens up a world of possibility that the film never really explores in great depth - though it really wants you to think it has. It's stylish, sure, but even that begins to grate fairly quickly. The whispered, whinging voice-over, reminding us every so often what we're supposed to be feeling, is overused and begins to border on the ridiculous.
All in all, 4 stars for some good camerawork and solid performances. Unfortunately, nothing else delivered.
A very deep and emotional movie
kroesten29 July 2022
This movie is simply disrespectful to you time.
unpaid_movie_critic21 January 2022
Why it is not even a 1 Star, briefly, and point by point.
Do not worry, without spoilers, so it will not ruin or spoil anything =)
1. Chronométrage of the movie is 3h 3m and director want you to watch a Drama about life or poor and unlucky in Germany.
2. Small note or description about the movie says, "A man from Guinea-Bissau moves to Germany, where he is befriended by a drug dealer and two women." Okay, got it, and so we will watch that for almost 3 hours.
3. Opening of the movie super boring, so after 10-15 minutes, I rewind that movie close to the middle and guess what!? It is still boring life story that full of clichés from most of the well-known movies about hard and difficult life.
4. Do you remember time when you were need to write an essay about something and sometimes you could become so excited, so simply can forgot about requirements, time, and length. It is exactly the case with Burhan Qurbani, Additionally, he forgot to cut, edit, remove, and re-record some the staff.
5. Last but not least besides super boring scenario and try to show harsh life in Germany, author wants us to make some sort of conclusion, summary by the end of the movie. Seriously!? Let me guess again, about that drugs, violence, crime, gangs, and uncivil life style is bad and wrong, but a lot of this is a consequences of something/someone. Seriously!?
P. S: Please do not waste your time because you will simply feel that you either just wasted a few hours of your life, or "butthurt".
Do not worry, without spoilers, so it will not ruin or spoil anything =)
1. Chronométrage of the movie is 3h 3m and director want you to watch a Drama about life or poor and unlucky in Germany.
2. Small note or description about the movie says, "A man from Guinea-Bissau moves to Germany, where he is befriended by a drug dealer and two women." Okay, got it, and so we will watch that for almost 3 hours.
3. Opening of the movie super boring, so after 10-15 minutes, I rewind that movie close to the middle and guess what!? It is still boring life story that full of clichés from most of the well-known movies about hard and difficult life.
4. Do you remember time when you were need to write an essay about something and sometimes you could become so excited, so simply can forgot about requirements, time, and length. It is exactly the case with Burhan Qurbani, Additionally, he forgot to cut, edit, remove, and re-record some the staff.
5. Last but not least besides super boring scenario and try to show harsh life in Germany, author wants us to make some sort of conclusion, summary by the end of the movie. Seriously!? Let me guess again, about that drugs, violence, crime, gangs, and uncivil life style is bad and wrong, but a lot of this is a consequences of something/someone. Seriously!?
P. S: Please do not waste your time because you will simply feel that you either just wasted a few hours of your life, or "butthurt".
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