David O'ConnellBERLIN '36 @ The Festival of German Films
April 29th 2010 04:57
History is littered with stories of people being maneuvered like pawns, whether to fulfill political destinies, to save face for narcissistic individual causes, or to divert the flow of history. Berlin ’36 (2009) charts the course of a more unusual example of manipulation, one that occurs on that bleary borderline where sport and politics wrestle for supremacy.
With the Berlin Olympic Games fast approaching, German powerbrokers are mindful of the constant rumblings from the United States where vocal rallies reflect outrage at a lack of Jewish athletes amongst the German ranks. A boycott by the Americans would be disastrous, with consequences the Germans will avoid at any cost. Their star high jumper, Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth), is of Jewish ancestry but she’s been forced into exile where she is currently chalking up titles in Britain. Now they want to coax her back to construct a perfect façade of equality which convinces the rest of the world that all is well.
Part of their strategy involves the use of Marie Ketteler (Sebastian Urzendowsky), born a man but with the appearance more of a woman. Used to wearing female clothes whilst sneaking off into the woods to train as a way of avoiding the wrath of her wretched abusive mother, Marie becomes a strategic tool, her potential brought to notice after undergoing a medical evaluation. You can almost see the lightbulbs going off in the heads of the German hierarchy as they concoct a devious plan to keep up false appearances whilst simultaneously thwarting Gretel's endeavours to make the team's final cut.
Marie Ketteler (Sebastian Urzendowsky) with Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth)
Much of Berlin ’36 focuses on time spent at the training facility and the group dynamic amongst the athletes jostling for selection. Gradually the focus narrows to Gretel and Marie who are predictably paired together in a room. An atmosphere of jealousy and mistrust morphs into spiteful maliciousness as Gretel’s main competitors try to gain a superior foothold. Against this backdrop of unsavory competitiveness, Gretel and Marie manage to forge a friendship; there’s an implication that physical attraction towards Gretel impacts significantly on Marie’s gradual softening. Initially she seems timid in a reflexive way, for in attempting to prevent her secret from spilling out into the open, she leaves herself open to an impression of arrogance. This is later dispelled as she and Gretel cross a divide to find the commonality that will unite them as secret agents for the side of good.
There’s an admittedly conventional, diluted aspect to the telling of this tale, with an absence of any stylistic verve shown by director Kaspar Heidelbach. It’s a pedestrian, workmanlike effort on his behalf, but thankfully the story - dramatised by Lothar Kurzawa - is compelling enough at its core to overcome its predictable arc. The degree and nature of the prejudice against Gretel is uncomfortable viewing, even if it too feels slightly sanitized, to make it digestible for mainstream audiences. This is especially true once original trainer - kindly idealist Hans Waldmann (Axel Prahl) - is dismissed and replaced by hard-nosed bastard Kulmbach (Robert Gallinowski). It’s he who raises the stakes, initiating an attempted psychological dismantling of Gretel’s spirit through a campaign of separatism that firstly ostracises her, then prevents her from maintaining a required peak physical condition.
The performances are faultless, especially Herfurth as the stoic Gretel who has a much steelier resolve than she imagines. Perhaps overcoming the notion of Urzendowsky's ambiguous gender will be a problem for some, but he does exude enough femininity to nullify much of the basic absurdity of the situation. Ultimately Berlin ’36 qualifies as solid drama, a fascinating real-life tale neatly framed with photos of the real Marie and a pre-end credits interview with the still living Gretel.
Watch the film's trailer here.
Berlin '36 is currently screening as part of the Festival of German Films across Australia.
| 123 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Matt Shea
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic