"It's beautiful in the universe. But it's far from home."
Home. Everyone yearns for spiritual stability and belonging, and spends their whole life looking for a home for their wandering soul and value. Under the influence of power and closed politics, what we often see is absurd and desolate appearances of all beings. Alex's father absconded to West Germany, where he made his home because he couldn't stand his non-party membership being an "original sin" in the country. Alex's mother was terrified of leaving home with her son, even though her beloved husband sent letters calling and begging countless times. She told the children that Dad had betrayed Mom and the country, and "married to our socialist motherland" with the cross on his back, devoting all his enthusiasm to the state machine she was afraid to flee. In Alex's life, the father role disappeared for twelve years. He then worshipped his mother and her career, and dreamed of East German dreams.
Eleven years later, on the 40th anniversary of the founding of East Germany, Alex has grown up. The socialist state and the cause of his mother had lost to him the sanctity of childhood. In the camera, he showed his boredom with his mother's writing of opinions, his contempt and disappointment with the regime; he joined the "street walk" team and shouted aimlessly "media freedom" in the crowd - at that time, even Under the high-pressure control of East Germany, the wealth and freedom of West Germany were still very attractive to East Germans. But there was a dramatic turn: his mother fell into a coma after witnessing his arrest, and woke up unable to withstand any stimulation. In order to protect his mother, Alex weaves a big lie about the two virtues, but finds himself gradually intoxicated by this sweet lie. When the world of East Germany is changing with each passing day, and colorful culture, goods and services are pouring in, Alex is persevering in reshaping the city before the fall of the Berlin Wall for his mother. He wiped away all the capitalism that had infiltrated Berliner life, and was ecstatic to find a jar of East German pickles that had been discontinued. During this period of lying, he also experienced the ruthlessness of capitalism's "efficiency first" principle, and saw the weakness and powerlessness of East Germany after the fusion of the two Germans. In fact, this is what he subconsciously resisted. In order to convince his mother and, it seems, his own shortcomings, he compiled the national news himself. In Alex's news, childhood idol Sigmund Jahn is not just a taxi driver, but a leader of the country; the government is no longer insensitive and changes decisively in accordance with the situation; the great attraction of East Germany beckons West Germany's People, socialism has embraced capitalism generously... So, in the world he shared with his mother, East Germany did not change its face under the shock, but gradually moved towards a society that was in line with socialist ideals and in line with the people. Go in the desired direction.
On the other hand, Alex's mother devoted herself to the cause of socialist education after her husband left, and she pinned the emotions and energy that she had nowhere to release, and was considered "too idealistic" by the organization. This woman has experienced the defeat of Germany and the parting of her lover, and her faith has been handed over to the socialist motherland. When she saw the riot police mercilessly beating the unarmed, and heard the screams of helplessness and despair, she was shocked and shuddered: "Stop!" At this moment, a large truck stopped in front of her. The police officer on the bus yelled at her impatiently: "Look at it!" She has been a part of the whole machine for many years, but this night she felt so powerless and small, this is the system she trusted and followed? Just then, she saw her son being arrested by the police. The strong stimulation made her fall into a coma, but when she woke up, she forgot about it, she was still sincere to the National Party, and under the care of her son's careful lies, she retained outdated beliefs. My favorite part of the movie is when my mother goes out alone while Alex is sleeping. It's a whole new world, with flashy materials, exaggerated logos, and sedans that were once a luxury item. She looked at the changes around her and walked to the street. The helicopter was coming from a distance with a huge statue of Lenin. She stared blankly at Lenin as she streaked across the sky, stretched out her arms to her as always, and took a few steps back in confusion. And this once powerful call has disappeared in the dust of the history of the motherland, with the statue disappearing in the afterglow of the setting sun. The country's once-firm beliefs have just left, leaving those who fought for it at a loss.
In the last days of her mother's life, she heard the ins and outs from Lara. There are clues in advance, even if it is difficult to accept, in her heart, she also knows that this is the truth. In the hospital, Alex plays the last roll of carefully fabricated news to his mother, watching her receptiveness while unable to hide her smugness. The mother pretended to know nothing, but stared at her son lovingly every time she turned her back. The mother deceived her son again and kept the secret until her death.
The mother and son's experience of "deceiving" each other was accompanied by the ups and downs of East Germany. In the big era, the joys and sorrows of the little people are shown without being pretentious but incisively and vividly. The director completed the final tribute to East Germany through the hands of Alex, and also showed great compassion for the life that was ups and downs in the waves - the space hero who became a taxi driver, the first sentence when seeing the guests was to deny this now only An identity that will bring embarrassment and desolation to oneself; a father who fled to West Germany and made a name for himself, can never heal the scars of his long absence from his wife and the loss of his fatherhood in the growth of his children; a former "soul engineer" who is now unemployed and down and out Principal... The times are rushing forward with people too late to think. At this moment, we say "Goodbye, Lenin!", who can predict what will happen in the next second?
(2014.4.28 homework of modern world history)
View more about Good Bye Lenin! reviews
