Germany, Year Zero

Germany, Year Zero (1948)

Genres - Drama, Historical Film  |   Sub-Genres - War Drama, Childhood Drama  |   Run Time - 78 min.  |   Countries - Germany, France, Italy  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Michael Costello

In the third and final film of Rossellini's WWII trilogy, the director shifts his focus from his native Italy to the bombed-out ruins of Berlin, where 12-year-old Edmund Koehler struggles for survival. Among the nine people he lives with are: a father, who is suffering from malnutrition and a fatal illness; a brother, who is a former Nazi soldier hiding to avoid arrest; and a sister, who has turned to prostitution. Scouring the rubble-strewn city for food, money, and cigarettes, he comes upon a former teacher, Herr Enning (Erich Guhne), who evinces a barely restrained sexual attraction to the boy while providing him with records of Hitler's speeches that can be bartered on the black market. He also drums into the boy a classic piece of Nazi propaganda about the importance of having the courage to let the weak be destroyed. Under his influence, the confused young protagonist heads down a tragic path.

Characteristics

Moods

Keywords

black-market, boy, Germany, Nazi, prostitute/prostitution, sibling, malnutrition, mentor, terminal-illness

Attributes

High Artistic Quality