16 July 2012
Call no: 800
Genre: historical fiction, sff
Setting: 1940s, England, Germany
8 Stars
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Book one in the Milkweed Triptych In a remote part of Germany a doctor has been hard at work, he has had plenty of test subjects, the Great War left many orphans and foundlings, and he paid good money for … Continue reading
25 May 2010
Call no: 800
Genre: epistolary, general fiction
Setting: 1930s, Germany, USA
3 Comments
Address Unknown is a very slight book. It is told in letters between Max Eisenstein in the US and Martin Schulz in Germany, and begins in 1932. They are business partners, and friends, both have fond memories of Germany, where Martin is originally from. And both seem to start out with similar beliefs and politics. But then comes the rise of Hitler, and where Max sees cause for alarm Martin sees a chance for humiliated Germany to rise up. Continue reading
10 January 2009
Cast: David Kross, Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Thomas Kretschmann
Script: David Hare
Genre: drama
Setting: 1950s, Germany
4 Comments
based on book, Der Vorleser, by Bernhard Schlink In Germany, 1958, Michael Berg is feeling unwell. He wanders through the streets for a while before almost collapsing in the entrance to an apartment block. He vomits. A passing woman helps … Continue reading
20 April 2007
Cast: Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Thomas Thieme, Ulrich Mühe, Ulrich Tukur
Script: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Genre: drama
Setting: 1980s, Germany
10 Stars
1 Comment
In 1984 in East Germany the secret police, or Stasi were everywhere, watching everything. This film details the activities of one officer, Wiesler, as he monitored a popular playwright. Wiesler doesn’t believe that Dreyman could possibly be as pro the party as he makes out. Too arrogant. So he suggests keeping him under surveillance, just in case. His superior officer doesn’t agree, at first, but then Minister Bruno Hempf mentions that perhaps he isn’t such a fan, and that perhaps Dreyman isn’t a favourite. It turns out that Hempf is more than interested in Dreyman’s girlfriend, the actress Christa-Maria Sieland, and so would like nothing better than to remove his rival by having him arrested and taken away.
17 November 2005
Cast: Heath Ledger, Lena Headey, Matt Damon, Monica Bellucci
Script: Ehren Kruger
Genre: sff
Setting: Europe - Napoleonic, Germany
7 Stars
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Well, this’ll teach me not to keep offline copies of my reviews won’t it. The original had been eradicated from web-land, so my poor memory will have to come up with another review of this film. I really enjoyed this … Continue reading
18 May 2005
Call no: 920
Genre: biography, non-fiction
Setting: Germany
9 Stars
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At 22 she dreamed of being a ballerina, yet she ended up working for and “liking the greatest criminal ever to have lived.” In this book she simply retells her experiences, without really putting her own interpretation to her actions … Continue reading
15 April 2005
Cast: Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Corinna Harfouch, Juliane Kuhler, Kate Hudson, Michelle Yeoh, Ulrich Matthes, Yôko Narahashi, Youki Kudoh, Ziyi Zhang
Genre: drama, war
Setting: 1940s, Germany
10 Stars
1 Comment
Opening with a group of young women being escorted by armed soldiers to meet Hitler, Downfall is not your average World War II film. Yes, it has guns, violence, death and soldiers, but this film tells of the last few … Continue reading