Babylon Berlin

According to Kutscher, Tykwer's Babylon Berlin is one of those rare works that appeal to both critics and the general viewer. The novels that follow the cases of the originally Cologne-based crime novelist Gereon Rath inspired this great return to the Weimar Republic, which has once again become interesting, which is great. In the original, the viewer can practice their German and Russian and experience something quite different again. The main characters are different and they're not clichés from the usual crime dramas. Gereon Rath stands between Cologne and Berlin, between the present and the trauma of war. Charlotte Ritter is an utterly perfect heroine who is about to rise from humiliating poverty... and both are surrounded by the full panoply of cops, monarchists, Trotskyists, communists, hookers and other denizens of that near-mythical city. Each individual experiences for himself and in his group the effects of war reparations, yet also the joys of modern times. The increased interest in this series is well deserved. The case has also been adapted as a comic and an audiobook, and if all this raises awareness of this historical era, it will only be a good thing. Meanwhile, the novels continue until 1937. (12/01/2020)

The first half of Gereon Rath's case is truly fascinating. Amidst corruption, and pornography, but also the spectacular world of the jazz club Moka Efti... The late years of the Weimar Republic were never as attractive to the public as they are here. Nothing is black and white. Alongside the problems of ordinary people, there are dramas playing out in high politics, with the poor having fun alongside those at the top. The period realities are great. People on Sunday is screening in the movie theater, and casting for The Blue Angel is taking place in the film studios... The first eight episodes are a gripping blend of period fresco and raw crime drama. (12/01/2020)

The second half of Babylon Berlin changes style somewhat. The period fresco is interspersed with action, and the conclusion of the investigation is lined with overcomplicated events. Both Gereon and Lotte narrowly escape death (repeatedly), and many of the groups searching for the Sorokin gold are on the brink of civil war. Yes, it was very suspenseful, but not in the spirit in which the series began. If the adaptation of the second book, "The Silent Death," returns with less action, I will welcome it with open arms. Babylon Berlin is not a tribute to films starring Harry Piel. On the other hand, if we got more musical numbers in the style of Leo Monosson and his "Mir ist so nach dir," I certainly wouldn't mind. (12/01/2020)

The serial retelling of Gereon Rath's second case, "The Silent Death", is the next step for the attractive late-Wimmerian series Babylon Berlin. The seemingly exquisite setting of the film studios in Babelsberg, the advent of sound film, the escalating political situation, the impending stock market crash, and many other themes offer a truly extraordinary experience. Unfortunately, with such an ambitious project, you have to please everyone and everything and the final product is not consistent enough. When I looked at the book's premise, I realized that Volker Kutscher had basically written a simple linear retro crime novel with a naive romantic storyline. Viewers of the series unfamiliar with the book would be very surprised at how uncomplicated the prescribed romance between Gereon and Lotte is... We thus have to put all the extra credit on the filmmakers, who have a responsibility to the widest possible audience. Some of the episodes were great, others weaker, and the final double finale was very far-fetched. We did see the spectacular premiere of the late expressionist film Dämonen der Leidenschaft, which Lilian Harvey was also present at, but by far the strongest impression left on me was the legend of Hans Westmar, the future martyr of the NSDAP, inserted into the fictional story. (04/03/2020)

This series began very ambitiously, and there was good reason for that. The lavish previous seasons became the most prominent German export, representing in a nutshell that legendary myth of the Weimar Republic... An unmistakable combination of decadence, corruption, politics, art, and crisis. Who wouldn’t be curious about what 1931 had in store for the homicide squad and everyone else fighting daily on the brink of poverty? While the previous seasons still provided a very realistic depiction of that time within the realm of fiction, emotionally believable and dramatically compelling, the 4th season seems to have become more of a guidebook. There are too many plotlines, too many characters without strong connections, and at least three or four separate finales followed one after another in the second half of the series. But where did the point of the Sonnenborn project go? Why did the climactic action of the Berlin police unfold in the style of Al Capone? And was it really necessary to introduce yodeling at Moka Efti? So many questions. Nevertheless, the train called Babylon Berlin is still moving, and it will be interesting to see whether the filmmakers take Gereon all the way to America or completely part ways with the novels. (16/09/2024)