kapu s prabhakara
I may be wrong, as i am watching this, this is very much like The return from the ashes, where liv Ulman returns from the camp and meets with old lover played my maxmilian schell. who marries her for her money and tries to kill her. i really enjoyed the return from the ashes, and i am equally relishing this film.
sconnell@trinity.edu
For those commenters who deem "The Phoenix" unbelievable, with all due respect, you don't have a clue about the depth of trauma and denial in post-war Germany. I encourage you to read Farran Smith Nehme's discussion of the film, "Conversations with Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix," found on the rogerebert.com website. It's an excellent analysis of the film's background and milieu. Nehme also writes eloquently about the problem of suspension of disbelief when it comes to damaged characters living in extraordinary times; he alludes, for example, to Hitchcock's dismissal of the mindset of "the plausibles"--those literal-minded reviewers who often took exception to the logic or believability of his characters' choices. The great majority of critics, however, are smarter than that; for what makes the film absolutely riveting--and why it's received so much critical praise--is how the two main characters, due to their extraordinary historical moment, and the terrible acts they've done or been subjected to, close their eyes to things that seem perfectly obvious, yet also believe things that have no basis in reality. And the ending is unforgettable.
tsestan
This movie received great reviews just because it is German. If this was Spielberg film it would get far worse and much more objective reviews. Don't get me wrong, I like German movies but not this one. This one looks like it was written be thirteen year old girl "tragically" in love with the boy that is dating her best friend. When the end came I started laughing. How could adult write such an end. But now when I think about it, it all falls into its place. Highly moral persons, betrayal, suffering and ultimately one of the corniest ending in history of cinema. Man, this is pure Shakespeare. I know I am being an idiot but this wouldn't even be great as sixteen century drama. I just checked and saw that same director has directed Barbara, much better movie. Maybe man lost his form or targeted a larger audience. Who knows
gizmomogwai
Phoenix goes to a time that haunts Germans and Jews alike- the aftermath of the Holocaust- and manages to do something different and make an impact. The film follows survivor Nelly, whose face has been destroyed in the camps and whose facial reconstruction has left her unrecognizable. She's still beautiful, as a friend points out, but that's not enough- she is no longer herself. She finds her husband, and disbelieving her friend's claim he's the one who betrayed her, stays close to him without revealing her identity. He notices her and by coincidence decides to make her over as the old Nelly, in order to collect her inheritance.In making a woman over in the likeness of another, and in fact the two women are one, Phoenix bears similarities to Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958). But the two films go different places with the concept- Phoenix follows the woman, her desire to reclaim her old life and identity, her unwillingness to accept the truth about her husband, how or if she will take her revenge. (Vertigo is more a story about obsession). Her friend gives her a revolver for protection- you'd think that spells out the end, but the end is rather different, chilling and stunning. Phoenix is a film with a powerful voice and meaning, and shouldn't be overlooked.
AD
