#499: Germany Year Zero
1948, 71 minutes, Black and White, 1.33:1
Language: German
Directed by Roberto Rossellini
[A note on spoilers: I think I did a pretty darn good job of not including any in this post.]
For me, Germany Year Zero is definitely the odd man out in Roberto Rossellini’s “War Trilogy.” I had no contextual reference for the film at all before I saw it as part of the trilogy when Criterion announced its upcoming release a few months ago. Really, anything I knew of it before seeing it myself I had learned only incidentally through the reviews, essays, and supplemental features included with the Criterion DVD set and online.
It was a bit of a hard pill to swallow in comparison to Rome Open City and Paisan. Not only is it overshadowed by the first two films, it stands quite apart from them. Set in postwar Berlin, it is stark, bleak, and without humor. Not only does it seem isolated from the other two films in the trilogy, it almost doesn’t even seem like an Italian film; the setting and the language is all German.
It is a wonderful film, and I do admire it a great deal. From the supplements and other discussions, there does seem to be some argument for Rossellini’s intent in making it. My preference is displayed in the feature on the disc, “Italian Credits and Prologue,” where the voiceover says the intention of the film is neither to condemn nor defend the German people, but an assessment of a fact, and that the efforts of those making the film will be rewarded if anyone who watches it feels something should be done so that German children may be taught to love life again. There is another interesting proposal of Rossellini’s reasons to make the film in the supplemental feature, a written and photo essay by Thomas Meder, “Roberto and Roswitha,” that considers, almost conspiratorially, that it was his love affair with a German woman that make him more sympathetic to the plight of the German people.
I am impressed by the audacity of a man making a film that, regardless of his intentions for doing so, takes a sympathetic look into the lives of a country whose soldiers oppressively occupied his own just a short time before. Germany Year Zero depicts the lives of the citizens of Berlin. It is the government, and its military, that was responsible for the war and the havoc and devastation it wreaked on Italy and Europe. The people – the citizenry – of Germany, however, were just as devastated by the war posed by its own government as were the people of the countries invaded by Germany. They deserve to be shown, if not sympathy, at least understanding. As the title implies, it is a starting point for a rebirth in that country, an opportunity to sow the seeds of a peaceful future.
I think the impact of the movie is so great because it is lived from the point of view of a young boy. He has an innocent, almost angelic, appearance. Because of circumstances forced upon him as a result of the war, he is anything but innocent. His innocence is his weakness because it leaves him exposed to the more evil implications and lessons of the world in which he lives. He is preyed upon and taken advantage of. He is impressionistic and learns quickly. He is too young to be fully aware of the differences between good and evil, and takes literally the figurative rants and laments of those he encounters and lives with, therefore performing a deed that may seem logical and, even, asked for, but is in no way right or morally justified. After realizing the evil of his actions, he can’t undo what he has done and wanders the city streets alone. He is searching for a way to make things right. He is abandoned by everyone, can’t reconcile his emotions with his environment, and sees only one ultimate conclusion that is most drastic.
The movie does seem to have such an oppressive and overwhelming sense of hopelessness. I see the film essentially as a morality tale with the message of, look and see what may happen without compassion, understanding, and guidance.
I think I am glad that it is such a short movie. Clocking in a runtime of only seventy-three minutes is almost merciful. I don’t say that because it is a bad movie at all, no, far from it. It is a wonderful movie, but it contains such a hopeless environment and, I think, powerful message, that to be much longer would make it unbearable.
The supplemental features on this disc, too, are bountiful, even without an audio commentary to the film. I have already mentioned a couple of them and there is also a documentary, Roberto Rossellini, covering Rossellini’s life and career, with appearances by Anna Magnani, Isabella Rossellini, François Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese. This supplemental feature actually has a runtime two minutes longer than the main feature. It is a wealth of information and knowledge, as can be expected. Several special features are also well worth the time to take them in.
This disc is a wonderful compilation. It was quite a treat to be exposed to this film, considering I knew very little of its existence before Criterion announced its release.
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